Naik Abhay Raj Yadav

Naik Abhay Raj Yadav hailed from Salarpur village in Behror tehsil of Alwar district of Rajasthan and was born on 02 Jan 1962. Son of Shri Dhura Ram Yadav and Smt Mohanni Devi, he was very passionate about the Armed Forces since his younger days. Following his passion, eventually, he eventually got selected and joined the Indian army on 31 Jan 1981 at the age of 19 years. He was recruited into the Parachute Regiment, an infantry Regiment well known for its daredevil para commandos and numerous bold operations. Later he joined the 10 Para(SF), the elite battalion of the Regiment. Raised on 01 June 1967, 10 Para(SF) was known as “Desert Scorpions” as officers and jawans of this unit were trained specially for desert warfare.

Naik Abhay Raj Yadav's battalion comprised of men of steel, whose physical and mental toughness was beyond compare and were trained to be ready to take on any task anywhere. He too soon developed into a tough commando with commendable soldierly skills. After serving for a few years he married Ms Rajwala and the couple was blessed with a son in Nov 1988.

Sri Lankan Operation (Op Pawan) : 02  April 1989

After the induction of Indian forces in Aug 1987, as part of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord signed on 29 July 1987, the militants were supposed to surrender but the dreaded LTTE backed out and unleashed war on Indian forces. Initially, only 54 division of the Army was inducted but the escalation of the operations brought three more divisions 3, 4, and 57 into the conflict. Naik Abhay Raj Yadav's unit 10 Para(SF) was inducted into Sri Lanka as part of IPKF in October 1987 and got involved in the operations right after its induction. In 1987, 10 Para(SF) got involved in the  Jaffna University Heli-drop operation launched by the IPKF aimed at disarming the LTTE by force and capturing the town of  Jaffna. Mounted on the midnight of 12 October 1987, the operation was planned as a fast heliborne assault using Mi-8 helicopters with 10 Par(SF) commandos and a contingent of the 13 Sikh LI. The operation was aimed to capture the LTTE leadership at the University building which served as the Tactical Headquarters of the LTTE. Though the operation proved costly for the Indian forces, it changed the course of the war with LTTE.

By April 1989, Indian forces had undertaken numerous operations against LTTE but the war was far from over. Naik Abhay Raj Yadav and his comrades had to move frequently to support the ongoing operations in their area of responsibility. While on the move, they had to maintain a very strict vigil at all times as their routes were prone to IED blasts and surprise attacks by the LTTE militants. On 02 April 1989, Naik Abhay Raj Yadav was part of a recce mission along with some other troops on the outskirts of Jaffna when they came under attack by LTTE militants. The militants were heavily armed and were using sophisticated automatic weapons. A fierce gun battle ensued thereafter with a heavy exchange of fire from both sides. However, during the exchange of fire, Naik Abhay Raj Yadav got hit by bullets and was martyred. Naik Abhay Raj Yadav was a dedicated and gallant soldier, who laid down his life at the age of 27 years in the service of the nation.

Naik Abhay Raj Yadav is survived by his wife Smt Rajwala Devi and a son.