In a moment of solemn national acknowledgment, the Indian armed forces have officially released the names of six personnel who lost their lives during Operation Sindoor, bringing their identities into the public domain for the first time. Their names have now been etched into the 2025 segment of the National War Memorial in New Delhi and added to its official Roll of Honour, marking their permanent place in India’s military history.
The fallen include five soldiers from the Indian Army and one from the Indian Air Force. They are Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Agniveer Murali Naik, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar of the Air Force.
Among them, two have already been distinguished for exceptional bravery. Rifleman Sunil Kumar was awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously, while Sergeant Surendra Kumar was honoured with the Vayu Sena Medal after he died in service.
Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam trigger
Operation Sindoor was launched in the wake of the 22 April terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed. The attack prompted one of India’s most extensive cross-border retaliatory operations in recent years, conducted on the night of 6–7 May.
Indian forces targeted nine terror-linked sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, striking infrastructure associated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. According to official assessments, more than 100 terrorists were eliminated in the coordinated precision strikes.
Deep strikes across terror infrastructure
The operation dismantled a network of training camps, launchpads, and operational hubs used for cross-border militancy. Among the key targets was the Sawai Nala training centre in Muzaffarabad, identified as a site where attackers involved in incidents at Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam had received training.
Other sites included the Syedna Bilal camp for weapons and survival instruction, Gurpur camp in Kotli linked to past attacks on civilians, and Abbas camp near the Line of Control used for training suicide operatives. Additional strikes hit the Sarjal camp in Sialkot, Mahmuna Joya camp connected to the Pathankot attack planning, Markaz Taiba in Muridke, historically associated with Ajmal Kasab and David Headley, and the Subhan Allah headquarters in Bahawalpur, a key Jaish-e-Mohammed recruitment hub.
Escalation and subsequent stand-down
The strikes triggered a brief but intense period of military escalation between India and Pakistan, lasting several days. Indian forces also reportedly inflicted damage on multiple Pakistani airbases, including Noor Khan, Sargodha, Bholari, and Sukkur, with satellite imagery released by private operators indicating structural destruction at several sites.
Following sustained tensions, Directors General of Military Operations from both countries agreed on 10 May to halt further military action, bringing a temporary pause to hostilities.
Enshrined in the nation’s memory
The inclusion of these six names at the National War Memorial, established in 2019 near India Gate, places them within the Tyag Chakra, where the sacrifice of India’s fallen soldiers is permanently recorded on granite walls. With this recognition, Operation Sindoor is now formally inscribed within India’s military legacy, ensuring that the lives lost in its execution are neither anonymous nor forgotten, but honoured as part of the nation’s enduring record of service and sacrifice.
