Thiruvananthapuram: The mortal remains of the Keralite soldier Vysakh H who was martyred in Jammu and Kashmir has been brought home in Kottarakkara on Thursday morning. Last rites will be held in the afternoon after keeping the body for public homage.

The body was brought to the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night and was kept at Pangode military hospital. It was taken to his residence in Kudavattur on Thursday morning. Finance minister K N Balagopal and MP Kodikkunnil Suresh paid homage on behalf of the state government. 

24-year-old Vysakh hailing from Odanavattom in Kottarakkara was among five Army personnel who lost their lives in a fierce gunfight with terrorists during an operation in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

The other soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty are Naib Subedar (JCO) Jaswinder Singh, a recipient of Sena Medal, Naik Mandeep Singh, Sepoys Gajjan Singh and Saraj Singh.

The operation was launched in a village close to Dera Ki Gali (DKG) in Surankote in the early hours following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists who had infiltrated from across the Line of Control (LoC).

Vysakh joined the army four years ago. He was part of Maratha regiment and reached Kashmir from Punjab seven months ago. He had come home for a vacation two months back. Vysakh is son of Harikumar and Beenakumari. Shilpa is his sister.