Surgical strike: Maj Suri killed 4 terrorists in close combat

Maj Rohit Suri, an army commando and his buddy killed four terrorists, including two sentries guarding the terror camp in a hand-to-hand fight during the surgical strike before directing others to open fire on the camp. While the NDA government kept details of the strike on terror camps across the Line of Control under wraps, some details have come out now after Maj Suri’s name was announced for Kirti Chakra – the nation’s second highest peace time gallantry awards – last week.

Maj Suri, who was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment in 2004, was the mission leader of the team, which was tasked to carry out punitive strikes on terrorist launch pads in hostile territory. He formulated the action plan after detailed reconnaissance and after analysing all target surveillance data. On the night of September 29, he was the commander of a strike team that closed in on the launch pad. He directed the team to engage the enemy in the open.

Simultaneous attacks were launched by multiple teams targeting 7 terror camps located at a distance of 1-3 km from India’s disputed border with Pakistan. Maj Suri and his buddy first killed the two sentries and asked the back-up team to engage others in the camp by opening fire.  Later they killed two more militants in close-quarter combat. The young officer executed the task and returned to safety with his men “flawlessly with clockwork precision”.

He was selected for the Kirti Chakra for “displaying warrior ethos, uncanny intelligence gathering skills and devotion beyond the call of duty,” sources said, quoting the gallantry award citation that has not been released in public domain. While the citations and photographs of gallantry award winners are released on the eve of the Republic Day, an exception was made this time as 22 commandos from 4 Para and 9 Para — the two units that participated in the surgical strike — were chosen for the award. Ten brave hearts, including five from the two Para units, will receive Shaurya Chakra.