The wreath-laying ceremony of Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, the Indian Army soldier who lost his life on Monday in a gunfight with militants, was held at the Badami Bagh Cantonment on Tuesday.

“In a solemn ceremony at the Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of a proud nation,” Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.

Besides top Army commanders, tributes were also paid by Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh and representatives from various security agencies.

Earlier today, Army chief General Bipin Rawat offered condolences to the family of the Lance Naik Singh.

The soldier died fighting foiling an infiltration bid in Jammu & Kashmir’s Tangdhar sector.

Lance Naik Singh was one of the members of the team that had participated in the September 2016 surgical strikes on terror camps across the LoC. The strikes were carried out in retaliation of a terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri on 18 September that year, which left 19 soldiers dead.

According to Col Kalia, the Lance Naik succumbed to bullet injuries suffered during the operation which led to the killing of five militants. The gunfight in Kupwara had started on Sunday after a group of heavily armed militants was challenged by the Army in Tangdhar in Kupwara district.

Singh, 30, had joined the Army in 2007. He belonged to Kotla Khurd village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and is survived by his wife and five-year-old son.

His mortal remains were flown to his native place where he would be laid to rest with full military honours.