The United States military on Wednesday paid its final respects to American soldiers who lost their lives during a World War II mission in 1944 when their B-24 bomber jets crashed over the Himalayan mountains in Arunachal Pradesh, reported NDTV. The remains of eight American soldiers were excavated by a US military team and given a full honours ceremony at New Delhi's airport. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter was present at the formal ceremony.

The remains will be flown to the US, after the Narendra Modi government gave the US a green signal to do so. The former United Progressive Alliance government had rejected the US' request to locate and take back the remains of the missing military personnel, following China’s objection to the US expedition in what they claimed to be their territory. The aircraft that crashed was carrying supplies from China to India. An estimated 350 US service members are still classified as missing in India.