A Year Later, Here's Why We Should Not Forget The Martyrs Of Pathankot Attack.

On January 2 2016, the country woke up to a horrifying news of the Pathankot Air base in Punjab.

The Pathankot attack saw a heavily armed group attack the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. Along with initial casualties during a gun battle, a subsequent 17 hour combing operation would result in the deaths of three security personnel dead. The operation would go on for 3 days, and evidence pointing out a Pakistan link to the attackers would go on to permanently damage the fragile India-Pakistan peace process.

Also read:?Commando Who Took 6 Bullets In The Pathankot Attack Is Ready To Fight Again

The security personnel who were martyred came from the Defence Service Corps (DSC), Indian Air Force, the Air Force's elite commando unit - Garud, and the National Security Guard.

1. Garud Commando Gursewak Singh???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Garud commando Gursevak Singh had joined duty a week before the Pathankot attack. Singh, who was hit in the initial burst of gunfire, kept fighting even after being hit, but died of his injuries before medical help could arrive. Singh's father is an ex-serviceman while his elder brother is in the Army too.

2. NSG Commando Lt. Colonel Niranjan Kumar

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Lt. Col. Niranjan Kumar headed NSG's elite bomb disposal squad. Commissioned in the Engineers Regiment of the Army in 2004, he was assigned to a "mopping up procedure" on the Pathankot encounter spot. Lt. Col. Kumar was killed while defusing a live grenade from the body of a terrorist. Niranjan's lungs were punctured due to the impact of the blast of a grenade that was kept in the pocket of a slain terrorist and the officer died before being taken to the hospital.

8 Facts You Need To Know About Martyr NSG Commando Lt. Colonel Niranjan Kumar

3. Captain Fateh Singh?? ????????????

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He was part of Army's Marksmanship Unit in Mhow for many years, joined the Defense Security Corps (DSC) after retiring from the Army as a Subedar Major. Till last year, Singh was posted in Mhow under Dogra Regiment and was transferred to Pathankot later. You can read more about him here.
4. Hawaldar Kulwant Singh of DSC??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

ANI

Defence Security Corps' (DSC) personnel Havildar Kulwant Singh died fighting with militants at Pathankot Air Force base along with Honorary Captain Fateh Singh. Kulwant Singh had retired from the Army in 2004 and joined DSC in 2006.

5. Havildar Jagdish Chandra???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Hawildar Jagdish Chandra was among the first Jawans to take on the terrorists. Jagdish was working in the kitchen as a cook when the terrorists attacked. He chased the terrorists bare-handed and managed to kill one of the terrorists there itself with his own rifle. He later fell to the bullets of the remaining terrorists.

6. Havildar Sanjeevan Singh Rana???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Another Havildar with the DSC who died on the first day of the attacks.

7. Havildar Mohit Chand

Attacked at the army base, Chand would breathe his last at the army hospital.

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Inputs from The Times of India