Nine officers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry medal, for their role in Operation Sindoor, a daring counter-terror offensive in May that targeted Pakistan’s terror infrastructure and military assets.
According to news agency ANI, the awardees include pilots who struck at the heart of Pakistan’s terror ecosystem in Muridke and Bahawalpur, the known headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, and others who engaged Pakistani Air Force (PAF) jets in dogfights, bringing down at least six enemy aircraft. The operation was a direct retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre in April, which claimed the lives of dozens of Indian civilians.
The decorated officers are:
- Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu
- Group Captain Manish Arora (also awarded the Shaurya Chakra)
- Group Captain Animesh Patni
- Group Captain Kunal Kalra
- Wing Commander Joy Chandra
- Squadron Leader Sarthak Kumar
- Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh
- Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik
- Flight Lieutenant Aarshveer Singh Thakur
Alongside these honours, 26 officers and airmen of the IAF received the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) for their contributions to the operation. This includes fighter pilots who executed deep strikes inside Pakistani territory and air defence crews operating the S-400 missile system and other advanced platforms, successfully neutralising every Pakistani attempt to target Indian soil.
On the occasion of Independence Day, two senior Indian Army officers were also conferred the Sarvottam Yudha Seva Medal, while the overall gallantry honours list featured four Kirti Chakras, four Vir Chakras, and eight Shaurya Chakras.
Operation Sindoor strikes on Muridke and Bahawalpur carry strategic significance, as both locations have historically served as key operational hubs for cross-border terror against India. The downing of six PAF jets in a single conflict is also considered one of the most decisive air combat victories for the IAF in recent decades.
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