Odisha: Mortal remains of soldier Debashish Baswal killed in Poonch attack consigned to flames

Bhubaneswar: The mortal remains of Indian Army jawan Debashish Biswal, who was among the five soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, were consigned to flames with full military honours at his native village in Odisha's Puri district on Saturday.

Thousands of people gathered at the crematorium in Khandayat Sahi in Sakhigopal area as Biswal's elder brother lit the pyre.

His body reached the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on a special Indian Air Force plane. The body was then taken to Puri in an Army convoy.

Governor Ganeshi Lal and other dignitaries paid their tributes to Biswal at the airport.

'Debashish Amar Rahe' slogans rented the air as the convoy with Biswal's body travelled from Bhubaneswar to Puri.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for Biswal's family. He is survived by his wife Sushree Sangeeta and seven-month-old daughter.

Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following the attack in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya in Poonch. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.