Dibrugarh: Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro town marked the first martyrdom anniversary of Indian Air Force (IAF) Corporal Tage Hailyang, one of the 26 victims of the Pahalgam terror attack that took place a year ago.
A memorial statue of the soldier was inaugurated on Wednesday at Rakhe Lembo in his native Tajang village in Lower Subansiri district. Family members, local leaders, and residents attended the programme and paid tribute.
The Pahalgam attack took place on April 22, 2025, in the Baisaran Valley meadow near a tourist area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Armed terrorists, estimated to be in a group of 2–7, opened fire on civilians and tourists between 1 pm and 2.45 pm. The incident took place in a forested area accessible only by foot or horseback.
Corporal Hailyang, who joined the IAF in 2017 after studying in Ziro, Haryana’s Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, and graduating from Don Bosco in Itanagar, was on leave with his wife after being transferred from Srinagar to Dibrugarh Air Force Station.
He was posted in Srinagar and had returned to collect his belongings when the incident occurred. According to eyewitness accounts and tributes, he helped guide civilians to safety during the firing before he was killed.