LoC attack: Army chief to visit Poonch today, martyrs' kin mourn killings

Patna/Kolhapur/New Delhi, Aug 7: The families of the four martyred jawans from 21 Bihar regiment mourned the death of their warrior sons with the Bihar government planning state funerals for all four of them. The fifth martyred jawan is from Maharashtra. In Kopa Samhauta near Chhapra, the family of Lance Naik Prem Nath Singh is mourning his death. He had visited his parents last month while on leave and had returned to the LoC. Singh has a family of his wife, three kids, parents, sister and three brothers. His father Raj Kumar Singh is a farmer and Prem Nath was the eldest son.In Pimpalgaon of Kolhapur district lives the family of Kundalik Kerba Mane, who was martyred at the LoC. He joined the army in 1997 from Belgaum and has a wife, two kids, parents and a brother. He had come on leave 20 days ago and returned to the LoC.In Bimwa Hardian village of Ara, Bihar, the family of Shambhu Sharan Rai is mourning his death. Wife Sapna and his mother have been weeping since last evening. Shambhu has four brothers. One of his brothers Siyaram Rai is in the army, another is in Bihar Military Police and the youngest Hareram Rai is in the IAF. Father Bansidhar Rai is a constable in Madhubani jail. Shambhu is survived by his wife and four kids. Meanwhile, Army chief General Bikram Singh will visit Poonch Wednesday to review the situation.Because of incessant rains since morning in Poonch, the army chief's travel has been delayed. The Army chief had briefed Defence minister A.K. Antony on Tuesdayfollowing the incident. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Antony, they added.Meanwhile, patrolling has been enhanced along the LoC and there was no incident of firing on Tuesday night. Gen Bikram Singh is expected to meet the commanding officer and troops of the battlions whose troops were killed in the ambush, Army officials said. The ambush that killed five soldiers is one of the worst incidents along LoC since the ceasefire came into force between India and Pakistan in 2003. A wounded soldier is recuperating in a hospital at Jammu.The soldiers killed belonged to the 21 Bihar regiment battalion and Maratha Light Infantry battalion, sources said.They were deployed in Sarla area along the LoC near Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch sector in Jammu region.As per norms lay down no construction can take place 500 metres on either side of LoC. They said the attackers took advantage of bad weather as visibility was poor.The ambush took place about 40 km away from the site of attack in January in which two soldiers were killed. One Indian soldier was beheaded and the other's body was mutilated causing a nationwide uproar. Following the incident, Gen Bikram Singh had said that the Army reserved the right to retaliate at a place and time of its choosing and had mentioned that he expected his commanders to be aggressive in the face of firing.