Lance Havildar Yougal Kishor

Lance Havildar Yougal Kishor hailed from Jalas village in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. After completing his initial studies, at his native place, he joined the Indian Army. He was recruited into the 12 JAK Light Infantry of the famed Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment, a regiment known for its brave soldiers and numerous successful operations in various wars and ongoing border skirmishes.

Battle of Point 4812 (Kargil War): 01 July 1999

During June-July 1999, L/Hav Yougal Kishor's unit was deployed in the Batalik sector of Ladakh and was part of "Operation Vijay". The unit was functioning under the command of the 70 Infantry Brigade with the overall control being with the 3 Infantry Division. By early May 1999, Pakistani forces had intruded well across the LOC, in the Mushkoh, Dras, Kaksar, and Batalik sectors. The extent of penetration across the LOC varied from 4 to 8 km in each sector. In many vital points, neither artillery nor air power could dislodge the enemy forces, who were not in visible range. The Indian forces had no option but to send up the soldiers for direct assaults which were slow and took a toll. One such mission was assigned to 12 JAK LI unit on 30 June 1999 to capture the strategically important Point 4812 in the Batalik sector. Capt Nongrum was tasked to lead the assault team for this critical mission along with L/Hav Yougal Kishor and a few other soldiers.

On the night of 30 June/01 July 1999, L/Hav Yougal Kishor set off along with his leader to assault the feature from the southeastern direction. L/Hav Yougal Kishor and his comrades went on to do the challenging task and made the ascent steadily yet stealthily to get to the enemy shelters at the top. On reaching the top, L/Hav Yougal Kishor and other soldiers faced strong opposition from the enemy forces as they were well entrenched in interconnected positions carved out of boulders and could not be attacked by even artillery fire. The enemy pinned down the attacking soldiers with heavy automatic fire for about two hours. L/Hav Yougal Kishor and his comrades led by Capt KC Nongrum realized that the enemy forces were in fortified positions and a daredevil action was needed to overrun them. Capt Nongrum leading from the front, charged through the fire zone and threw grenades at the enemy bunker. The audacious action of Capt Nongrum not only stunned the enemy but also gave valuable reaction time to his troops to close in and finally clear the position. However, during the heavy exchange of fire, L/Hav Yougal Kishor got severely injured and later succumbed to his injuries. Besides L/Hav Yougal Kishor, Capt Keishing Clifford Nongrum and two other soldiers Hav Daler Singh Bhou, and Hav Abdul Kareem also succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. This courageous act of L/Hav Yougal Kishor and his comrades finally paved the way for the ultimate capture of Point 4812. L/Hav Yougal Kishor was a valiant and committed soldier, who laid down his life in the service of the nation.

Lance Havildar Yougal Kishor is survived by his mother Smt Gujan Devi.