New Delhi: On the eve of the 79th Independence Day, the Centre on Thursday announced gallantry medals for 16 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel for displaying “conspicuous bravery” and “unmatched valour” during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.The medals were awarded to some personnel for destroying enemy surveillance cameras and neutralising drone attacks. “This Independence Day, 16 Brave Seema Praharis (border guards) are being awarded Gallantry Medals for their conspicuous bravery and unmatched valour, for being resolute and steadfast during Ops Sindoor. The medals are a testament to the nation’s faith and trust reposed in India’s First Line of Defence: The Border Security Force,” the BSF said in a post on X. Operation Sindoor, undertaken jointly by the three defence forces along with the BSF, targeted terrorist and military facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from May 7 to 10. It was carried out in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. Two BSF personnel, sub-inspector Mohammed Imteyaj and constable Deepak Chingakham, were killed in action, while seven others were injured during the operation. The two will be decorated posthumously with military medals for bravery. Sub-inspector Vyas Dev, who lost his left leg after a Pakistani mortar shell hit his border post, was honoured for undertaking a “risk-prone” mission to replenish ammunition to forward-deployed troops during the operation. His citation states he “suffered life-threatening injuries, but remained conscious, stabilised himself, bravely engaged in his given task, motivated fellow soldiers, and exhibited tremendous courage.” Constable Suddi Rabha, who stood “shoulder-to-shoulder” with SI Dev and refused to yield despite grievous injuries, was also awarded. Another unit, commanded by under-probation Assistant Commandant Abhishek Srivastav and comprising head constable Brij Mohan Singh and constables Depeswar Barman, Bhupendra Bajpai, Rajan Kumar, and Basavaraja Shivappa Sunkada, was deployed at the highly sensitive Kharkola border post in Jammu, just 200 metres from the International Border. On May 10, they engaged and neutralised a swarm of Pakistani drones, but one UAV dropped a mortar shell into their bunker. A separate unit led by Deputy Commandant Ravindra Rathore, Inspector Devi Lal, head constable Sahib Singh, and constable Kanwaraj Singh displayed “exceptional courage” and “operational brilliance” under intense pressure, saving the life of a fellow jawan “whose life was in peril.” Assistant sub-inspector Udai Vir Singh, deployed at the Jabowal border post in Jammu, destroyed a Pakistani surveillance camera amid intense enemy fire. Despite sustaining a life-threatening shrapnel wound to his upper lip, he refused evacuation and went on to destroy a Pakistani heavy machine gun nest, ensuring uninterrupted domination from the Indian side and inspiring his troops. At the Karotana Khurd border post in Jammu, ASI Rajappa BT and constable Manohar Xalxo undertook a “high-risk” mission to replenish automatic grenade launcher ammunition during a critical shortage. A mortar shell hit the magazine, injuring both, but they completed their mission. Assistant Commandant Alok Negi, along with two troops, executed “relentless and accurate” mortar fire on enemy positions for 48 hours. Their “fearless” conduct ensured zero casualties and maintained operational dominance. The BSF guards the 2,290-km-long India-Pakistan International Border, as well as stretches of the Line of Control under the Army’s operational control along the country’s western flank.
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