ARMY MAN LAID DOWN LIFE WHILE FIGHTING TERRORISTS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR:

MAJOR JAMES THOMAS WHO KILLED
6 TERRORISTS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR HAS BEEN POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE KIRTI CHAKRA, THE NATION’S 2ND HIGHEST PEACETIME
GALLANTRY AWARD.
THOMAS & HIS COMPANY FROM THE 10 SIKH
LIGHT INFANTRY, IN TURN, WERE DEPLOYED ALONG THE LINE OF CONTROL WHEN THEY INTERCEPTED A GROUP OF TERRORISTS ATTEMPTING TO INFILTRATE INTO JAMMU & KASHMIR ON JAN 28.
REALISING THE IMPENDING DANGER TO HIS
OWN TROOPS, THOMAS DECISIVELY MOVED FORWARD TO INTERCEPT THE TERRORISTS, LOBBYING GRENADES & ENGAGING THEM IN A FIERCE FIREFIGHT.HE KILLED 4 TERRORISTS SINGLE-HANDEDLY.
DESPITE SUSTAINING SEVERE SPLINTER
INJURIES, THOMAS CRAWLED TOWARDS 2
MORE TERRORISTS CLOSING IN FROM THE
OTHER FLANK & KILLED THEM BEFORE SUCCUMBING TO HIS INJURIES.HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE NITHA.
11 OF THE 16 PERSONNEL AWARDED SHAURYA CHAKRAS HAVE ALSO GOT IT POSTHUMOUSLY, MAINLY FOR COUNTER-INSURGENCY OPERATIONS.THE AWARDEES ARE:
1] MAJOR GOPI SINGH (REGIMENT-GARHWAL RIFLES)
2] SUBEDAR GUMAN SINGH (RAJPUTANA RIFLES)
3] HAVILDAR MAJOR SARBJIT SINGH (SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY)
4] NAIK GURJANT SINGH (SIKH REGIMENT)
5] NAIK SARWANT KUMAR (J & K RIFLES)
6] SEPOY RANJIT SINGH (PUNJAB REGIMENT)
7] GUNNER RANJEET SINGH (ARTILLERY)
8] LT.AMARJIT SINGH (SPECIAL FORCES)
9] SUBEDAR DEVI PRASAD (GARHWAL RIFLES)
10] HAVILDAR IBRAHIM (J & K RIFLES)
11] RIFLEMAN RIYAZ AHMAD BHAT (ASSAM REGIMENT)

AMONG THE AWARDEES IS A LONE IAF
HELICOPTER PILOT, SQUADRON LEADER
GURJOT SINGH BHULLAR, WHO BAGGED A
VAYU SENA MEDAL FOR RESCUING 3 PERSONS
FROM A COLLAPSING HOUSE IN A FLOOD
RAVAGED KARNATAKA VILLAGE IN AUG 2005