3 Shaurya Chakras awarded to Armymen for J&K operations

Recipients of the Shaurya Chakra—the third highest peacetime gallantry award—from the Army include Havildar Alok Kumar Dubey of Rajputana Regiment, Major Anil Urs of Maratha Light Infantry and Lieutenant Colonel Krishan Singh Rawat of the Special Forces.

Wing Commander Vishak Nair, Flying (Pilot), is the Shaurya Chakra recipient from the Air Force.

On the eve of Independence Day, President Ram Nath Kovind approved gallantry awards for defence personnel. Apart from the four Shaurya Chakras, the awards for the Army, Navy and Air Force personnel include five Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 60 Sena Medals (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

Read| J&K Police bags almost 40% of gallantry medals

Nineteen Mention-in-Despatches to Army Personnel will also be awarded “for their significant contributions in different military operations which include eight posthumous for ‘Operation Meghdoot’ and ‘Operation Rakshak’”, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Havildar Dubey has been awarded for preventing the escape of militants, who were trying to break cordon. According to the citation, after he noticed suspicious activity in bushes near the cordon, he “closed in to the group of terrorists and killed one terrorist at close range with aimed fire”, one of whom was later “identified as a dreaded terrorist of category A++”.

“In utter disregard to his personal safety, Havildar Alok crawled further blocking escape route of the terrorists. Maintaining offensive spirit, he brought down heavy volume of fire pinning the terrorists down and facilitating manoeuvre of own parties to further tighten the cordon. His courageous action prevented escape of the terrorists and eventually elimination of all four terrorists.”

Major Urs and Lieutenant Colonel Rawat have been awarded for independent operations in which they prevented militants from crossing the Line of Control by successfully laying ambushes and killing the militants, even as their own units came under heavy retaliatory fire.

About Lieutenant Colonel Rawat, the Army citation said, “Achieving complete surprise and unmindful of personal safety, he engaged them at extreme close range killing two terrorists, grievously injuring the third.”

“For displaying raw courage, marksmanship and rare combat leadership, while ensuring safety of his team, Major Anil Urs is awarded the Shaurya Chakra,” the citation said.

Unlike paramilitary force personnel like the ITBP, the soldiers involved in faceoffs with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh will be considered for gallantry awards the next time.