Commandos of surgical strikes honoured with gallantry medals
NEW DELHI: Nineteen soldiers of the 4 and 9 Para, the special forces’ units that undertook the daring cross-border surgical strike across LoC, were awarded gallantry medals, including a Kirti Chakra, while their commanding officers were awarded Yudh Sewa Medal.
Major Rohit Suri of 4 Para, who led one of the teams across the LoC to target terrorists’ launchpads, was awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award, on the eve of Republic Day.
Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar of the Gorkha Rifles was awarded the Kirti Chakra posthumously.
Col Kapil Yadav, commanding officer of 9 Para and Col Harpreet Sandhu, Commanding Officer of 4 Para, were awarded the Yudh Sewa Medal.
The medal is one of India’s highest military decorations awarded to mark distinguished service during war time in an operational content, including times of war, conflict, or hostili- ties and may also be awarded posthumously.
The award is the wartime equivalent of the Vishisht Seva Medal, which is a decoration for peacetime distinguished service.
Five personnel from the two para units also got Shaurya Chakra, while 13 got Sena Medal (Gallantry).
The army conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control in September last year, after a terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 19 jawans.
The strikes were widely hailed by as a strong retaliation.
The army’s new chief, General Bipin Rawat, had said India will give a calibrated “hard” response to terror activities that will compel Pakistan to completely rethink its strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism.
General Rawat was actively involved in the surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control.
FIVE PERSONNEL FROM THE TWO PARA UNITS ALSO GOT SHAURYA CHAKRAS, WHILE 13 WERE GIVEN SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)