A family that was struggling to come to terms with the loss of a 33-year-old who was serving as a Major in the Indian Army suffered another massive jolt when his cousin, 26-year-old Adarsh Negi, was killed in action in the attack on a military convoy in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

“Just two months ago, we lost a son who died serving his country. He was a Major. Now, we have found out that five Armymen from the Pauri-Garhwal region were killed in a terrorist attack on a convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, in which five people from our region have died, including Adarsh,” said the Rifleman’s paternal uncle, Balwant Singh Negi, a resident of Thati Dagar village in Uttarakhand’s Tehri district.

Balwant Negi’s Son, Major Pranay Negi, was serving in Leh and had died on April 30.

Adarsh Negi was among five Armymen who were killed when terrorists attacked a military convoy in the Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Monday afternoon. The terrorists threw a grenade at the Army vehicles, which were on a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road, about 150 km from Kathua and then opened fire. 

Negi joined the Garhwal Rifles in 2018 and is survived by his father, who is a farmer, mother, brother and elder sister. His brother works in Chennai while his elder sister is married.

Even as wails from women in the family could be heard in the background, the soldier’s uncle continued, “He was a very sharp kid and completed his intermediate from a school in the village. He then studied BSc from Garhwal University. He was always very fit and I told him to maintain his physical fitness, which eventually got him a job in the Army and he has now laid down his life for the country.”

“We have lost two sons in two months. I would request the government to take some strong steps. Employment is scarce and children who go to serve the country from Garhwal and Kumaon often return as martyrs. This breaks the entire family,” he said. 

Adarsh Negi’s father, Dalbir Singh Negi said, “We spoke to him last on Sunday. He said he was having food and was headed for duty. He had come to the village to attend a wedding and left in March.”

Monday’s attack on the convoy was the second on the Army in 48 hours. On Sunday, a soldier was injured when an Army camp was attacked in Rajouri. 

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