Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, on Saturday, presented 93 awards, including 52 individual honours and 41 unit citations, to Army personnel in recognition of exceptional courage and distinguished service.
The awards acknowledged acts of extraordinary valour in counter-insurgency operations, high-altitude deployments and sensitive border missions across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and other operational theatres, a Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) said, reported news agency PTI.
The individual awards included four Yudh Seva Medals, one Bar to Sena Medal, 37 Sena Medals, one Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal, eight Vishisht Seva Medals and one Jeevan Raksha Padak (Posthumous).
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The awards were handed over during the Northern Command Investiture Ceremony 2026, held in Udhampur of Jammu and Kashmir, attended by serving military officers, awardees and their families.
Among those honoured, Major General Rakesh Nair received the Yudh Seva Medal for distinguished service. Several officers and soldiers were awarded Sena Medals (Gallantry) for their role in anti-terror operations and high-risk missions.
Sepoy (now Naik) Nadeem Iqbal Shah was recognised for eliminating a terrorist during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir while returning fire under heavy attack. Lieutenant Colonel Nikhil Kumar was honoured for leading a successful anti-terror operation in dense forests, resulting in the neutralisation of multiple militants and the recovery of arms.
Major (now Lieutenant Colonel) Sumit Growal was awarded for leading a precise cordon-and-search operation in the Sunderbani sector using drone surveillance, while Major Ashutosh Kumar Yadav of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) was decorated for destroying a terrorist hideout during an intense firefight.
Major Hitesh Singh Verma of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was honoured for foiling an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector, neutralising three terrorists through a well-planned ambush. Major Anurag Savarni of Assam Rifles was recognised for establishing an effective surveillance grid along the India-Myanmar border.
Major Archit Indurkar and Major Aditya Pratap Singh were awarded for high-altitude surveillance missions along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, while Major Akshay Kumar was decorated for leading a daring avalanche rescue operation.
Major Alok Jaiswal was honoured for developing a robust intelligence network enabling successful anti-terror operations, while Major Amit Bhatti of 302 Medium Regiment was recognised for executing a coordinated fire assault that destroyed terrorist camps during Operation Sindoor.
Subedar Dhananjay Jambal and Major Dhananjay Jambal were also honoured for their leadership in counter-terror and precision strike operations under adverse conditions.
—With PTI inputs