Vijay Mohan,Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 3

A Lieutenant Colonel heading the National Security Guards’ (NSG) bomb disposal squad was among the seven fatalities in the terrorist attack on the Pathankot Air Force station. Five NSG commandos were among the 20 who sustained injuries. The high number of casualties and injuries despite “specific Intelligence inputs” is being viewed in security circles with concern. Particularly a senior officer of an elite counter-terrorist force losing his life during sanitisation operations. A commando from the IAF’s Garud special force, Gursevek Singh, was also killed.Lt Col Niranjan E Kumar was commissioned into 10 Engineer Regiment in 2004 and moved to the NSG on deputation in May 2014. He leaves behind his wife and an 18-month-old daughter. The last rites are scheduled to be performed at his hometown, Palakkad in Kerala, tomorrow.The mortal remains would be airlifted to Bengaluru and thereafter ferried by road.A tweet by the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, stated that the officer was killed in “mopping-up operations”. Reports suggested that the NSG casualties occurred due to an explosion from either an IED that the terrorists were carrying or a booby-trapped body that was moved by them. One of the NSG jawans, Bhoop Singh, who sustained serious head injuries, has been airlifted to Chandigarh.Hailing from Ambala, IAF commando Gursevak had been hit during the initial gunfire. He carried on fighting and later succumbed to his injuries. He got married a month ago. Most of the other fatalities were from the Defence Security Corps (DSC), a branch comprising retired armed forces personnel who are reemployed for undertaking guard duties at military establishments. They included 51-year-old national shooting champion Subedar Fateh Singh and Hav Kulwant Singh, both of whom were from Gurdaspur, and jawans Jagdish Singh and Sanjiv Kumar. One of the DSC jawans had chased a terrorist and killed him with the terrorist’s own weapon before falling to fire from the other intruders.While the management of entry points into military stations is controlled by the Military Police, Air Force Police or Naval Police, as the case may be, along with armed active-duty personnel, DSC personnel are deployed on secondary duties such as guarding buildings and manning internal check-points. They are distinguished from the regular services by their khaki uniforms.Some security experts also pointed out that specially trained dogs could have been deployed for sanitising operations. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police has recently started training “commando” dogs, referred to in service parlance as Smart Mopping Up Dogs (SMUD), for sanitising encounter sites and hide-outs by sniffing out possible mines, IEDs or booby traps.

HP braveheart was sole earner in his family:Havildar Sanjeevan Singh Rana

Lalit Mohan,Tribune News Service,Dharamsala, January 3

A pall of gloom descended on havildar Sanjeevan Singh Rana’s native Siyunh village near Shahpur, around 30 km from here, after the news broke that the 51-year-old had fallen to the bullets of the terrorists at the Pathankot Air Force station. His family was inconsolable.Employed with the Defence Security Corps (DSC), Sanjeevan was the sole earning member in his family.Though his wife Pinki Devi was not in a position to speak, relatives present in the house said Sanjeevan was critically injured during the encounter with the terrorists.He had received five bullet injuries in the chest and later died. His body would be brought to the village tomorrow.Sanjeevan is survived by his wife, two daughters – Komal, a Class XII student and Shivani, pursuing BCA – and a son, Shubham, who is doing a B Pharma course. He has five sisters and his parents are no more.Serving in the security forces has been a tradition with the family as Sanjeevan’s father Rattan Rana too retired from the Army.Sanjeevan had retired from the Dogra Regiment in 2009 and joined the DSC. He was transferred to Pathankot Air Base from Jammu two years ago.Kangra Deputy Superintendent of Police Hitesh Lakhanpal and Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shravan Manta also visited the martyr’s family today.Shahpur Congress leader and Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation vice-president Kewal Singh Pathania has expressed grief over the death of the two soldiers from Himachal and has assured all possible help from the state government.Sources said the other solider from Himachal who attained martyrdom during the encounter is Jagdish Chand from Chamba district. The body of Jagdish Chand would also be brought to his native village tomorrow.Sources said Air Force’s Kishori Lal, who belongs to Jaisinghpur area of Kangra district, was also injured in the attack.

Havildar Sanjeevan Singh Rana

• Sanjeevan (51) retired from the Dogra Regiment in 2009 and joined the Defence Security Corps
• He was transferred to Pathankot air base from Jammu two years ago
• Rana is survived by his wife Pinki Devi, a housewife, two daughters — Komal, a Class XII student, and Shivani, a student of BCA — and a son Shubham, who is a student of B Pharma
• Serving in the Army has been a tradition in the family of Sanjeevan. His father, Rattan Rana, had also served in the Army

Commando from Ambala who fought till end

Suman Bhatnagar,Ambala, January 3

Garnala village near Ambala City went into mourning soon after hearing the shocking news of Gursewak Singh, who attained martyrdom in the Pathankot terror attack yesterday. The village wore a sombre look as most shops remain closed.The body of the martyr would be airlifted from Adampur (Punjab) to Ambala air base this evening for the last rites in his village. Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sangwan said the martyr would be cremated with full state honours. Gursewak served the Garud Commando Force, a Special Forces unit of the Indian Air Force in Adampur.Even as people mourned the death of Gursewak, his father, Sucha Singh, said he was proud of his son’s supreme sacrifice for the country. He said he got the information about the martyrdom of his son from his elder son, who is also an Army officer. Later he confirmed the incident with senior officers of the Garud Commando Force.Sucha Singh said Gursewak was very intelligent and cleared the Air Force exam in his first attempt six years ago after completing his graduation. His idol was Shaheed Bhagat Singh, he added.Gursewak is survived by his wife Jaspreet, to whom he was married around one and half months ago, parents and an elder brother. Gursewak’s village friends could not believe he is no more as it was just last Sunday they had met him. One of the village youths, Amarpreet, said Gursewak was very bold since childhood and he never wanted to face defeat in the life. Heath Minister Anil Vij visited Gursewak’s residence today to share the family’s grief.Haryana to give Rs 20 lakhHaryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the next of kin of Gursewak Singh, a resident of village Garnala in Ambala, who was killed in the Pathankot attack. He said martyr Gursewak Singh has done the state and the country proud.In a condolence message, the Chief Minister expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and prayed to the Almighty that the departed soul might rest in peace. “Brave soldiers of Haryana have always defended the borders of the country and never hesitated to sacrifice their lives for maintaining the security and integrity of the country. Such brave men sacrificing their lives for their country remain immortal and their sacrifice always inspires fellow countrymen,” the CM said. TNS

Gursewak Singh

• Gursewak served the Garud Commando Force, a Special Forces unit of the Indian Air Force in Adampur
• Gursewak cleared the Air Force exam in his first attempt six years ago after completing his graduation. His idol was Shaheed Bhagat Singh
• Gursewak is survived by his wife Jaspreet, to whom he was married around one and half months ago, parents and an elder brother, who is also an Army officer