Army pays tribute to Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli martyred in J&K encounter

The Indian Army on Saturday paid homage to Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli, who was martyred during an encounter with terrorists on July 1 at Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

In the solemn ceremony which took place at BB Cantt, the officer of all ranks gathered, including Lt Gen DP Pandey, Chinar Corps Commander, and paid tribute to the brave soldier on behalf of the nation.

Earlier on July 1, a cordon-and-search operation was launched in the Hanjin Rajpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama late Thursday night against the hiding terrorists. During the search operation, civilians were moved to a safer place and the terrorists were given an opportunity to surrender. However, taking the advantage of darkness, the terrorists started an indiscriminate fire on the soldiers, following which the Indian Army retailed and a gunfight ensued.

According to a statement released by Army officials, Late Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli was part of a search operation in Pulwama named 'Hanjan'. On July 1, at around 00:25 am, a war broke out between terrorists and the Indian Army. During the crossfire, Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli was taken back by a gunshot in the chest which caused him a critical injury, his bleeding was stopped with first aid and then he was immediately wheeled to 92 Base hospital where he breathed his last. The 37-year-old presented the highest level of courage and valor by returning effective fire against the terrorists. 

Five Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in the encounter, including a district commander of LeT who was active since 2018. All the bodies were recovered from the encounter spot along with the increment documents and arms & ammunition including, 2 AK-47, 1 SLR, 2 Pistols, 20 Hand Grenades.
 

"The mortal remains of Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli were taken for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honors. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and remains committed to their dignity and wellbeing," read the official statement.

Kashiray Bammanalli hailed from a village named Ukkal of Bagewadi Tehsil, Vijayapura District in Karnataka. He became a part of the Indian Army in the year 2006. The braveheart is survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son.
Credit: (With some inputs from ANI)