As guns roared once again along the Line of Control and the International Border, the cost of escalation has been borne by families across India.
In the days following Operation Sindoor, at least six military personnel and one senior civil officer have lost their lives in a series of incidents tied to renewed hostilities.
Behind the ranks and uniforms were sons, fathers, and public servants whose service ended amid rising tensions in the region. These are their stories.
Sergeant Surendra Kumar Moga: Indian Air Force
Sergeant Surendra Kumar Moga, a medical assistant with the Indian Air Force, was redeployed from Bengaluru to Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, four days before his death.
He was killed on May 11 in a Pakistani strike amid intensified cross-border shelling and drone attacks following India's Operation Sindoor.
A resident of Mehradasi village in Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, Moga's redeployment was part of a broader strategic response to escalating tensions in the region.
Sub-Inspector Mohammed Imtiaz: Border Security Force (BSF)
Sub-Inspector Mohammed Imtiaz of the Border Security Force was stationed along the International Border in the RS Pura sector of Jammu.
He was killed on May 11 during heavy Pakistani firing amid intensified shelling and drone attacks following Operation Sindoor.
Further details about his personal background are not available at this time.
Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar: Indian Army
Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, serving with the Mechanised Infantry attached to the 42nd Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles, was killed on May 7 during ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
He had returned to duty after a period of leave that ended in early March. Kumar is survived by his wife Seema, an advocate, and two children, Darshan (5) and Kavya (7).
Rifleman Sunil Kumar: Indian Army
Rifleman Sunil Kumar, hailing from Trewa village in Jammu, was killed during shelling by Pakistan in the RS Pura sector amid intensified cross-border attacks following Operation Sindoor. His remains were brought home on May 11.
Mudavath Murali Naik: Indian Army
A 25-year-old soldier from Kondrum village in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district, Murali Naik was the son of farm labourers and the first in his family to join the armed forces.
He had returned to his post in Jammu and Kashmir just four days before he was killed in shelling by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control, amid escalated hostilities following Operation Sindoor.
Murali had joined the Indian Army in 2018 and was posted with a Jammu and Kashmir Rifles unit. According to family members, he had last spoken to his mother on a video call on May 6.
His mortal remains reached his native village on May 9, and he was cremated with full military honours.
Havildar Jhantu Ali Shaikh: Indian Army, Para (Special Forces)
Havildar Jhantu Ali Shaikh, a native of Krishnanagar, West Bengal, was serving with the 6th Battalion of the Para (Special Forces).
He was killed on April 23 during a counter-terrorist operation in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Shaikh is survived by his wife Jhuma and two children, Tanvir and Rehana, who resided at the Agra Cantonment in Uttar Pradesh. His elder brother, Nazim Sheikh, is also a non-commissioned officer in the Indian Army, currently posted in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Raj Kumar Thapa: Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC), Rajouri
Dr. Raj Kumar Thapa, serving as the Additional District Development Commissioner of Rajouri, was killed on May 10 when a Pakistani artillery shell struck his official residence in Rajouri town, Jammu and Kashmir.
Thapa had a distinguished career in the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service, previously serving as Officer on Special Duty to former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (2009–2014), Mission Director of the J-K Skill Development Mission, and Special Secretary in the Labour and Employment Department.
He was actively involved in coordinating relief efforts for border residents during the escalation.