Mamata expresses grief over the death of jawan from Darjeeling in J&K

Kolkata, May 6 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday expressed grief over the death of a 25-year old jawan from Darjeeling who was among the five Indian soldiers who lost their life during a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Banerjee said that she was deeply shocked to learn about the death of Siddhant Chetri and extended her condolences to the bereaved family of the soldier.

“Deeply shocked to learn that our Siddhant Chetri, a 25 year young jawan from Bijanbari, Darjeeling, is among the five valiant soldiers of the Indian Army who lost their lives during an encounter with the terrorists in a special operation at Rajouri in J&K yesterday. Our patriotic jawans laid down their lives to neutralise the terrorists and their supreme sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Banerjee tweeted.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the bereaved families of Siddhant Chetri and the other patriots who have lost their lives yesterday,” she said.

At least five soldiers were killed when a group of terrorists ambushed them inside a thickly forested area at Kandi in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Friday when an operation was underway to flush out ultras. The terrorists are believed to be those who were behind the attack on an army truck on April 20 in Poonch which too had left five soldiers dead. An army major was injured in the operation.