IAF man from Arunachal Pradesh killed in Pahalgam terror attack; Assam professor escaped by reciting 'Kalma'

Guwahati: The wails of the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir was heard hundreds of miles away at Tajang village in Arunachal Pradesh as an Indian Air Force (IAF) corporal haling from the picturesque village became a victim of the terrorists on Tuesday while holidaying with his wife.   

The 30-year-old Tagey Hailyang recently called his wife to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir for a holiday as he was about to transfer to Dibrugarh in Assam.  

As per the plan, Tagey and his wife were out on a holiday at Pahalgam on Tuesday when terrorists struck at tourists like him and pumped bullets on him in front of his wife.

The 30-year-old Tagey died on the spot while his wife stood nearby. "We were relieved when he told us recently that he got his tranfer order. We were happy as Dibrugarh is nearer to us. But yesterday, we got the shocking call from his wife that he was one of the victims of the terror attack in Pahalgam," Tagey's brother Taka Hailyang told reporters as the news about Tagey's death spread at Tajang, a picturesque village in Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Subansiri district on Wednesday.

"We got the information last evening but did not disclose this to my parents," Taka said. 

Tagey joined IAF about eight years ago and spent nearly three years in Srinagar before he became a victim of the terrorists. His another brother works in the Army. 

Villgers poured in Tagey's house on Wednesday morning as the family waited for his mortal remains. Officials said Tagey's body was flown from Srinagar to Guwahati in Assam via New Delhi and is likely to reach his home via road from Guwahati on Thursday.

"Initially, we were planning to take his body in a chopper from Guwahati to the IAF's advance landing ground at Ziro town. But the plan was cancelled due to bad weather," an official said.

Condoling the death of Tagey and 27 others, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu said, “People of Arunachal Pradesh stand together with our Indian brethren to continue to foster peace, prosperity and stability in the region. I am confident that our security forces are capable of providing a befitting response to such barbaric acts of terror” Khandu stated.

Assam professor's escape

A professor of Assam University in Silchar in South Assam, Debashish Bhattacharjee told reporters on Wednesday that he escaped the deadly terror attack by reciting 'kalma,' an Islamic verse. 

"As they started firing at the tourists, some other tourists started reciting kalma. I also started doing the same. One of the terrorists put the gun on my head and then I tried to recite the kalma loudly. I dont know what he thought and then he left," Bhattacharjee told television channels from Srinagar. He was holidaying with his wife and children.