Team India skipper Virat Kohli has expressed his thoughts over the encounter between joint security forces and terrorists in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir on May 3.
Kohli paid his tributes to all the security personnel who lost their lives while fighting terrorists by saying their 'sacrifices must not be forgotten'.
The Indian skipper took to Twitter and wrote: "Those who don't forget their duty in any circumstances are true heroes. Their sacrifices must not be forgotten."
"I bow my head to the army personnel & the policemen who lost their lives at Handwara and sincerely send my condolences to their families and wish them peace. Jai Hind."
According to Indian Army officials, two terrorists were killed with four personnel of the Indian Army, including the Commanding Officer and the Major of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles unit, were martyred on Sunday morning's encounter.
The three other security personnel, in addition to the Commanding Officer and the Major, who were killed in action during the encounter includes two jawans and one Sub-Inspector of the J&K Police.
The name of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles Commanding Officer who lost his life in the Handwara encounter is Colonel Ashutosh Sharma. He had earlier been involved with several successful counter-terror operations in the past.
HERE IS THE ABOVE MENTIONED TWEET FROM KOHLI:
Elaborating on how the event unfolded, officials of the armed forces said that the team of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles had received intelligence input which suggested that terrorists were taking hostage the civilian inmates of a house in Changimulla, Handwara of the Kupwara district in the union territory. Based on this input, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army and the J&K Police.
The 21 Rashtriya Rifles team entered the house of a civilian to prevent a hostage situation when they came under heavy fire from terrorists who had already reached there. In the ensuing gunfight, the four army men and the cop lost their lives, the Indian Army spokesperson said.
However, civilians stuck inside the house were safely evacuated, the official added.
