New Delhi: Twenty-four hours after he was decorated with Sena Medal for gallantry, an Army officer was killed in a gun battle with militants near Tinsukia in Assam on Sunday.
Capt S K Choudhary received the Sena Medal for his courage during a gun battle with militants in Jammu and Kashmir killing two last year.
Twenty-seven-year-old Choudhary perished after killing two ULFA militants and wounding a third in a raid, said an Army spokesman.
Based on a tip off, Army's Gorkha regiment raided Mechaki forest area at Hankhati where the militants, including hardcore ULFA rebel Joond Bhuyan, involved in serveal heinous crimes, were sheltered.
As the Army troops approached, the militants opened fire triggering a heavy exchange of fire, which continued for nearly an hour.
In the shootout, Captain Choudhury, who was a prime target for ULFA after he shot dead two leaders last year, sustained greivous injury and was airlifted to the Air Force hospital at Roroiya where he was declared dead. According to reports, Bhuyan managed to escape.
Bhuyan's close aides, Chandan Dohotia, alias Getley, and Tutu Moran were killed in the encounter.
The troops recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition, an improvised explosive device weighing five kg, timed and ready for use and two magazines from the encounter site.
The Captain was to marry his fiancee next month. At her residence, they were celebrating the announcement of the gallantry medal when news came in that Chaudhary had been killed.
Son of an Army officer — his father is a Lt Colonel posted at the Army Air Defence records office in Nashik — the Captain had already applied for leave and was due to head to Kathua (Jammu) shortly for his wedding.
(With agency inputs)
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