Srinagar, Mar 12 (IANS): The Army on Saturday paid rich tributes to Major Sankalp Yadav and Lance Havildar Bhonde Chandrasekhar Rupchand, who had made the supreme sacrifice while serving the institution.

In a solemn ceremony at BB Cantt, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, GOC-in-C Northern Command and all ranks, paid homage to the gallant soldiers.

An Army Cheetah helicopter had crashed on Friday in Baraub area of Gurez in Bandipora district, while on a routine mission to evacuate an ailing soldier from a forward post.

Major Sankalp Yadav was 29 years old and was commissioned in the Indian Army in 2015. He belonged to Civil Lines, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The braveheart is survived by his father.

Lance Havildar Bhonde Chandrasekhar Rupchand was on a QRT duty, when the vehicle he was travelling in, met with an accident near Kalaroos. The braveheart had fallen out of the vehicle and had rolled down into a valley. Immediate rescue operations were launched and Lance Havildar Bhonde Chandrasekhar Rupchand was evacuated to a military hospital, wherein he succumbed to his injuries. He was 34 years old and had joined the Indian Army in 2008. He belonged to village Dongar Gaon, Distt Bhandara, Maharashtra. The Braveheart is survived by his wife.

"The mortal remains of Maj Sankalp Yadav and Lance Havildar Bhonde Chandrasekhar Rupchand will be taken for last rites to their respective native places, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and well-being," the Army said.