Army jawan Murali Naik (23), a resident of Ghatkopar's Kamraj Nagar, was martyred in a Pakistani drone attack early Friday morning. The attack occurred around 3:00 AM near Uri in the Jammu region where he was stationed on duty.Naik, originally from Kafidanda village in Andhra Pradesh, had joined the Indian Army in 2022. The drone attack comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Just two days ago, India had destroyed terrorist bases in Pakistan following an attack on tourists in Pahalgam. In response, Pakistan launched multiple drone and missile attacks on various Indian border areas since Thursday night, resulting in casualties among both civilians and military personnel. Naik's family members currently reside in his native village in Andhra Pradesh. Further details about funeral arrangements are awaited.
Naik was the only son of Mudavath Sriram Naik and Mudavath Jyothi Bai, both of whom are agricultural labourers. He was residing in Mumbai for the last several years. Supriya Sule expressed his condolences on social media platform X, stating, "Indian Army soldier Murali Naik, who was serving the nation, has attained martyrdom. His supreme sacrifice will always be remembered by the country. My heartfelt condolences are with his family during this difficult time. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his condolences on social media platform X, stating: "It is saddening to hear of the loss of life of a soldier named Murali Nayak from Gorantla Mandal, Penukonda Assembly Constituency, Sri Sathya Sai District in the defence of the country. Tributes to the martyr Murali Nayak, who laid down his life for the country. I express my deepest condolences to his family members. "Local organisations and political leaders have also paid tribute to the fallen soldier. ABVP Ghatkopar honored the martyr in a post on X, while BJP leader Ganesh Kunder and Congress functionary Dharmesh J. Soni expressed their condolences and prayed for strength for Naik's family.
On Thursday, Pakistan launched aerial attacks on Jammu as well as several military stations near the western border, but those were successfully foiled by India’s air defence systems. Pakistan triggered the war and the Indian forces launched retaliatory attacks. The attempted strike, involving drones and missiles, triggered blackouts and sirens across several areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Authorities urged residents to remain indoors and vigilant as emergency protocols were activated. The attacks seem to be in retaliation for Operation Sindoor by Indian armed forces on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, from where the attack on tourists in Pahalgam was planned. Terrorists killed 26 tourists -- 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.