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AGRA: The 1.1 million strong Indian Army lost one braveheart every third day in last 13-years.

The data of Indian army, between the period of January 2005 to December 2017, revealed that total 1,684 men lost their lives in ceasefire violation by Pakistan, anti-terrorist operations, counter-insurgency, offensive tactical missions and peacekeeping missions.

According to a data released on January 15, while the force is observing 70th Army day, total 87 Indian Army men including seven officers of infantry, artillery, engineers, signals, Army air defence, Army services corps and Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers laid down their lives in the year 2017.

Though on December 23, 2017, four more casualties including a Major rank officer was reported along the Line of Control , which took the figure to 91.

The Indian Army data further revealed that, in 2016, 86 men were killed in action including 11 officers, while in 2015 it was 85 men including four officers, followed by 65 in 2014, 64 in 2013, 75 in 2012, 71 in 2011, 187 in 2010, 107 in 2009, 71 in 2008, 221 in 2007 and 223 in 2006.

The year 2005 reported the highest number of casualties, 342.

Latest operation casualty was reported from along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, in which Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane was killed on Saturday after sustaining critical injuries during a ceasefire violation by Pakistan army.

Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane, who hailed from the village of Khalane in Maharashtra’s Dhule district suffered injuries after Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked firing from across the border in Sunderbani sector.

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Last month on December 23, a major and three soldiers were killed in unprovoked firing on Indian posts along the Line of Control in Keri sector of Jammu’s Rajouri district. The men were identified as Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance naiks Gurmail Singh and Kuldeep Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh.

