Arjun Thapa Magar, a 25-year old Nepali, was among the two Indian Army soldiers killed in a skirmish with infiltrators at Nowshera in Rajouri district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

Magar, a native of Gorkha district, was a rifleman in the Indian Army.

He had returned to his duty after spending a month-long holiday at Debimaitol of Gorkha Municipality-5 in the third week of December. The settlement of 21 Magar families is around four kilometres from the main bazaar of the district headquarters.

According to the victim’s relatives, Arjun was chatting with his family members over the phone on Tuesday night but left the chat after saying the firing had started.

It became his last conversation with his family.

"When we tried calling him later, his phone was switched off," Magar’s sister-in-law Sanu Thapa said.

The family became aware of the incident after one of Arjun’s friends texted the family, asking for their address. When the family contacted him, the man on the phone said there was bad news for them.

They learnt about the incident once they contacted the Indian Army Office.

"Later, the Indian Army called us and asked if we could come over there to receive Magar’s body," said Thapa.

Meanwhile, members of Magar’s family and some relatives left for Kakarbhitta, the Nepal-India border point in Jhapa district, as soon as they came to know of Magar’s death.

"We are yet to know if we have to go to India or they will bring his body in Kakarbhitta," said Thapa.

"Arjun Thapa Magar was serving in the Indian Army for the past four years," said Narjung Rana Magar, a village local. “He had got married only seven months ago.” Arjun was the only son of his parents. He had joined the Indian Army while he was studying in grade 11.