Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 16 Aug: Group Captain Kunal Kalra, a resident of Dehradun, has been awarded the Vir Chakra in recognition of his exceptional courage and valour during Operation Sindoor, in which he destroyed terrorist hideouts and Pakistani military bases.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has extended his congratulations to Grp Capt Kunal Kalra, stating that entire Uttarakhand takes immense pride in his remarkable achievement. The CM has posted a message in this regard on his social media accounts.
As the nation marked its 79th Independence Day yesterday, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi commemorated Operation Sindoor alongside the country’s armed forces. On this occasion, he also honoured and praised the armed forces officials for their role in Operation Sindoor.
The Union Government has formally acknowledged the valour displayed in Operation Sindoor by honouring several officers. In total, nine officers of the Indian Air Force were presented with the Vir Chakra for their outstanding gallantry. Among these were the officers responsible for key strikes that targeted Pakistani military bases, including those at Muridke and Bahawalpur, and obliterated terrorist infrastructure.
The officers awarded the Vir Chakra are Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni, Kunal Kalra, Joy Chandra, Sarthak Kumar, Siddhant Singh, Rizwan Malik, and Arshvir Singh.
It may be recalled that after the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Sindoor during the night of 6 and 7 May with the objective of crippling terrorist networks and sending a strong message to Pakistan. Under this operation, the Indian Air Force launched attacks on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, decisively demonstrating India’s resolve.
