As the conflict between India and Pakistan continues, with cross-border shelling still ongoing in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir, another jawan, M Murali Naik, was martyred on Thursday, 8 May.
The announcement was made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a condolence post on X.
"It is saddening to hear of the loss 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 nation. I express my deepest condolences to his family members."
Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer also took to X to offer his condolences.
The son of a rice merchant, his mortal remains are expected to arrive at his home on 10 May.
Naik’s martyrdom closely follows the death of another Indian jawan, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar—a 32-year-old soldier from Haryana’s Palwal district—who also lost his life due to cross-border shelling.
In a statement on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said that Pakistani forces had resorted to shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in areas including Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor.
The Poonch region, in particular, has witnessed intense cross-border shelling by the Pakistani Army, resulting in the deaths of 16 civilians and injuries to 59 others. The Indian Army responded with retaliatory fire across the LoC, targeting Pakistani positions responsible for the violations.
This escalation follows India’s precision strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. These strikes were carried out in retaliation for the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists.