Watch: Massive crowd at martyred Major Aashish Dhonchak's Panipat village to pay last respects

People gathered in large numbers in Panipat's Binjhol on Friday to pay their last respects to Major Aashish Dhonchak, who lost his life in the line of duty while fighting terrorists in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir.

Three security forces personnel -- Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were killed in the encounter with terrorists in the Gadole forests of Kokernag in Anantnag district on Wednesday morning.

Major Aashish's family has been residing in a rented accommodation in Panipat, and he had been anticipating the move to his new house in the city, scheduled for his birthday on October 23.

He had joined the Army as a lieutenant in 2012 and he got promotion in 2018 to the rank of Major. He was married to Jyoti of Jind in November 2015 and they have a four-year-old daughter. He had returned home to his family just a month and a half ago.

The family members said that they got a call from his unit and they said that Aashish has sustained an injury, and they came to know by the evening that he has succumbed to his injuries. His mother Kamla said that she will welcome her son with a brave heart and will not shed tears as her son has made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

The mortal remains of the martyr will be cremated at his native village Binjhol, with hundreds of people, politicians and officials present to honour his sacrifice.

Meanwhile, a manhunt was underway on Thursday for the group the terrorists responsible for the ambush-style killings. To apprehend them, special forces and counterterrorism experts from the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been deployed. Additionally, dog squads, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, jammers, and drones are being utilised in the effort to track them down.