Bengaluru (PTI): Italy-born Sonia Gandhi initially struggled to learn Indian traditions and disliked politics, her daughter and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Monday.

Addressing a women-centric convention organised here by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in the poll-bound State, the Congress leader said she was brought up by two brave and strong women -- her grandmother Indira Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi.

She recalled that she was eight-years-old when Indira Gandhi lost her 33-year-old son. But the very next day of Sanjay Gandhi's death, she went to work to serve the nation and that was the sense of duty and her "inner shakti". Indira Gandhi continued to serve the nation until she died.

Priyanka Gandhi said Sonia Gandhi fell in love with Rajiv Gandhi at the age of 21.

"She (Sonia) came all the way from Italy to India to get married to him. She struggled to learn our traditions. She learnt the ways of India. She imbibed everything from Indiraji and at the age of 44, she lost her husband.

Even though she disliked politics, she took the path to serving the nation and she served it all her life till today when she is 76 years old," Priyanka Gandhi said.

Sonia learnt a "very important thing" from Indira Gandhi, she said.

"No matter what happens to you in your life, no matter how big a tragedy you face, how deep your struggles are... whether at home or work or outside, you have the capacity to stand up and fight for yourself," Priyanka said.

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Jammu (PTI): Security forces on Thursday extended the cordon and search operation to new areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district to flush out terrorists who opened fire on an Army vehicle the previous day, officials said.

A fresh operation was also launched in Dayalachak near the International Border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district after security forces intercepted a suspicious frequency wireless set, the officials said.

An Army vehicle came under fire from suspected terrorists hiding in a forest area near Phal village in the Sunderbani sector on Wednesday, prompting a massive search operation by the Army and police.

The search operation continues in Phal and was extended to new areas this morning to flush out the hiding terrorists, the officials said, adding there was no contact with the terrorists so far.

They said the security forces are using latest technology, drones and sniffer dogs to hunt down the terrorists in the dense forests.

In a post on X on Thursday, the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said, “Terrorists opened fire at an Indian Army convoy in Sunderbani, Akhnoor, yesterday (Wednesday). The firing was ineffective and our own troops responded swiftly.

“Some social media handles are falsely claiming casualties to own troops. This is false and deliberate disinformation. Search operations are presently underway to neutralise the perpetrators,” it posted.

An anti-terrorist operation was also launched in Gurah Baldara and adjoining villages in Dayalachak in the Hiranagar sector after a suspicious frequency wireless set was intercepted by security forces.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua Shobhit Saksena and senior officers of the Army and Border Security Force held a joint meeting at police station Hiranagar after the wireless interception.

A search operation is underway, while special checking parties have been established on various routes, officials said.