Sena Medal for three soldiers who gunned down Burhan Wani

YOUNG MAJOR SANDEEP KUMAR SHOWED NERVES OF STEEL AND EXEMPLARY RESTRAINT IN THE FACE OF EXTREME PROVOCATION IN NEUTRALISING MILITANTS

Tucked away in the remote hills of south Kashmir, it is jubilation all around at the Rashtriya Rifles unit as three of its personnel have been awarded Sena Medal for having gunned down dreaded militant commander Burhan Wani whose killing plunged the Valley into a welter of violence that lasted for months.

As details of the July 8 operation last year emerge, it transpires that young Major Sandeep Kumar, who led the crack team following “actionable” intelligence input that Sartaj Aziz and two other militants were hiding in a house in Bumdoora village, showed nerves of steel and exemin plary restraint in the face of extreme provocation in neutralising them.

The village, 18 km southeast of Anantnag, was cordoned off but the news of Army’s presence got leaked, making their task all the more daunting.

It was a long wait for Major Kumar, Captain Manik Sharma and Naik Arvind Singh Chauhan before they could lead their team storming the house where the militants were holed up.

Protesting crowds began swelling by the minute, shouting slogans and pelting the Army contingent with stones.

Leading the assault team, Captain Sharma and two others even made an attempt to enter the house as Major Kumar stood behind them, ready to provide cover fire. However, they had to retreat amid heavy stone-pelting by the villagers.

“We were counting every minute and even planning to throw a cordon around the house as dusk approached fast and with it the milling, restive crowd carrying stones,” recalled a police officer who was in touch with the Army contingent from the district headquarters.