AR honours veterans of Dudhi operation
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 09 2022:
During a recent trip to Nepal, DG Assam Rifles Lt Gen PC Nair met with some of the surviving members of the hallowed 7th Battalion, who took part in Operation Dudhi in Jammu & Kashmir from 1990 to 1992.Informing that Operation Dudhi remains the most successful counterinsurgency operation conducted by any security force till date, PRO IGAR (S) said in a statement that the Battalion eliminated 72 militants and apprehended 13 others.
The legends of operation Dudhi and their veer naris were also felicitated on the 31st anniversary of Operation Dudhi held in Shillong on May 9, 2022 .
On May 5 in 1991, Operation Dudhi was undertaken by a column comprising a Junior Commissioned Officer and 14 other ranks under the command of Nb/Sub Padam Bahadur Chhetri.
The column moved from Battalion Headquarter, Chowkibal, for a routine patrol to check the winter vacated post of Dudhi, with the staging camp established at Bari Baihk.
Located about 13 kilometres away from Battalion Headquarter, the camp was covered in five to six feet of snow.
The staging camp was established on May 4, 1991, and the track towards Dudhi was cleared the same day.
The next day, a column of one Junior Commissioned Officer and 14 other ranks began moving towards Dudhi Post.
When they were, just one kilometre from the Post, things took a deadly turn.
Militants had infiltrated into Indian Territory after crossing the 14,000 foot-high Eagle Pass.
They fired at the column, which then conducted a recce and discovered more than 100 militants camping in the area west of the track leading to Dudhi Post.
Despite being greatly outnumbered, troops of the 7th Battalion equipped with only 7.62 mm self-loading Rifles and a Light Machine Gun used tact to surround the enemy who were armed with sophisticated weapons.
The battle lasted for more than six hours until reinforcements arrived in the form of three columns consisting of one Junior Commissioned Officer and 25 other ranks under Maj A Nigam; one Junior Commissioned Officer and 35 other ranks led by Maj BS Kular; and Maj B Bhattacharjee (RMO) with a medical team.
Maj Nigam's column was fired upon near Bari Baihk,' but it fought through and reached the site of the first encounter..
In the fierce fire fight that continued till late at night on May 5/6, Rfn/ GD Kameshwer Prasad and Rfn/GD Ram Kumar Arya laid down their lives while Rfn/GD RK Yadav, sustained injuries.
The next 96 hours were used to carry out search operations and sanitization of the general area and led to recovery of a huge cache of weapons and ammunition, detailed the PRO, adding that the 7th Battalion was conferred numerous honours and awards during Operation Rakshak in Jammu & Kashmir.
These included two Kirti Chakras, one Shaurya Chakra, one Vishisht Seva Medal, 10 Sena Medals, one President Police Medal for Distinguished Service, three Governor's Gold Medal, 12 Governor's Silver Medal, four COAS Commendation Cards, 41 DGAR Commendation Cards, 23 GOC-in-C Northern Command Commendation Cards, Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation, and Silver Salver from the Governor J & K .
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