Army officer in coma after gunfight in Kupwara dies after eight years

Srinagar, Dec 25: Lieutenant Colonel Karanbir Singh Natt who was in coma for the last eight years after receiving serious injuries while fighting terrorists in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir in 2015, passed away on Saturday in Military Hospital Jalandhar, a media report said today.

Top army officials including Brig BA Dhillon (retd), Director Sainik Welfare Punjab, confirmed the death of Lt Col. Natt's demise.

Lt Col Natt was serving as the second-in-command of 160 Territorial Army Battalion (JAK Rifles) at the time of the incident in November 2015 while leading a combing operation against terrorists holed up in a village near Kupwara.

He had received grievous injuries to his face, particularly lower jaw, when on November 25, 2015 a terrorist holed up in a hut in Haji Naka village in Kupwara district of J&K, close to the Line of Control, fired upon him, reported The Indian Express.

Doctors in the Military Hospital in Srinagar and later in Army Research and Referral Hospital New Delhi had conducted frantic surgeries on him to save his life.

He was originally commissioned as a Short Service Commission officer in The Brigade of Guards in 1998. He served in the regiment for 14 years before being relieved from service in 2012. He joined the Territorial Army following his completion of service as a Short Service Commission officer.

Hailing from village Dhadiala Natt, near Batala, the deceased officer is survived by his wife Navpreet Kaur, and daughter, Guneet and Ashmeet.