Indian cricketers on Thursday took to social media to pay tribute to the three soldiers who lost their lives in the Anantnag encounter on Wednesday.
Three Army personnel, including a Colonel commanding a battalion and a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in the higher reaches of the Kokorenag area while one soldier was missing.
Colonel Manpreet Singh, commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonack, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were critically injured in the gunfight with terrorists that ensued in the Garol area of Anantnag district in the morning hours of Wednesday.
The officers succumbed to their injuries during treatment. A jawan also died in the encounter, officials have said while adding that the whereabouts of another soldier was not immediately known and it is feared he might have been seriously wounded.
Social media was abuzz with people condoling the deaths and paying tributes to the martyrs.
Former India players Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir also led the tributes from the cricketing fraternity.
Indian cricket fans have also urged the men's national team to wear black armbands in the Asia Cup 2023 final to condole the attack and deaths of the soldiers.