Fresh revelations from the government’s official Gazette Notification have shed light on the extraordinary details of Operation Sindoor, a meticulously executed tri-service campaign that saw the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army strike deep into Pakistan-occupied territory. The coordinated operation, combining precision air assaults and relentless artillery fire, dismantled key terror infrastructure run by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) across the Line of Control.

The IAF’s opening wave of strikes crippled major terror headquarters, provoking the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) into hurried defensive manoeuvres. Despite its counter-attempts, the PAF reportedly suffered losses in both air combat and infrastructure. The latest Gazette entries reveal citations for several officers awarded the Vir Chakra for acts of exceptional bravery and leadership under fire.

Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, commanding a Rafale squadron, was among the decorated officers. His unit spearheaded deep-penetration strikes over heavily defended targets while simultaneously providing air defence cover for Su-30MKI aircraft tasked with BrahMos missile launches. His citation highlights his leadership in planning and executing simultaneous missions from multiple western locations, ensuring both mission success and survivability of forces under his cover.

Group Captain Manish Arora, also a Vir Chakra awardee, led unescorted night-time strike packages under enemy radar coverage and advanced missile defence environments. Despite being targeted by both fighters and surface-to-air systems, he maintained composure and guided his formation to destroy fortified enemy positions, disrupting PAF response capability.

The citation for Group Captain Animesh Patni, Commanding Officer of an S-400 Triumf air defence unit, outlines how his team engaged multiple aerial threats while withstanding intense enemy fire. His unit not only downed hostile aircraft but also successfully relocated multiple times to evade PAF targeting. Under his oversight, personnel even apprehended a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative near their deployment zone.

Group Captain Kunal Kalra demonstrated exceptional bravery when his aircraft faced technical failure mid-mission. Despite malfunction warnings and the presence of enemy interceptors, he successfully executed two precision strikes, reallocating remaining targets to his formation mid-flight to ensure mission completion.

Wing Commander Joy Chandra’s citation describes his role in leading a high-risk precision mission under a dense network of Pakistani air and ground-based defences. His situational awareness and decision-making under layered enemy radar coverage ensured accurate weapon delivery and target neutralisation.

Several younger officers also received recognition for their pivotal contributions to Operation Sindoor. Squadron Leader Sarthak Kumar’s meticulous planning and flawless mission coordination enabled successive long-range stand-off strikes that severely degraded enemy war capabilities within 48 hours. Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh demonstrated exceptional skill in guiding stand-off munitions through a complex threat environment with pinpoint accuracy.

Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik, serving as Deputy Mission Leader, executed multiple unescorted midnight strikes under heavy radar cover and electronic jamming. His precise weapon launches destroyed fortified positions, significantly diminishing the adversary’s operational readiness.

Flight Lieutenant Aarshveer Singh Thakur showed similar valour, leading a two-aircraft formation during a midnight strike. Despite hostile radar locks and missile fire, his aggressive manoeuvring and weapon accuracy delivered devastating effects on the enemy infrastructure.

Colonel Koshank Lamba’s Vir Chakra citation marks another first for Operation Sindoor — the rapid airborne mobilisation of a specialised artillery battery under conditions of absolute secrecy. Within days, his coordination led to precision bombardments that obliterated multiple terror camps despite heavy retaliatory fire. His leadership under direct enemy observation kept morale high and ensured the mission’s full success.

Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht was also honoured for his command over precision artillery operations that caused complete destruction of targeted terrorist camps. His extensive use of satellite reconnaissance and tactical rehearsals ensured operational surprise and swift withdrawal post-engagement, demonstrating exemplary planning and battlefield control.

The cumulative picture painted by these citations underscores the scale, precision, and integration achieved during Operation Sindoor. It was not merely a display of military might but also a demonstration of real-time coordination across air and land forces under the most hostile conditions. 

The bravery displayed—from Rafale and Su-30MKI strike crews to ground-based artillery units—has cemented Operation Sindoor as one of India’s most decisive and daring military operations in recent history.

Agencies