Sepoy Gangadhar Dalui

Uri Attack : 18 Sep 2016

During Sep 2016, Sep Gangadhar’s unit was deployed in Baramulla district of J&K for counter-insurgency operations. The unit was functioning under the operational control of 12 Infantry Brigade, which had its headquartes at Uri. The 12th Infantry Brigade headquarters in Uri was a virtual oasis, protected naturally by the high ranges of the Pir Panjal and the Jhelum river that flowed by. On 18 September, four terrorists infiltrated 6 km into Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) and struck at a carefully selected objective, the headquarters of one of Indian Army’s iconic formations, the 12th Infantry Brigade. The attack commenced at around 0530 hrs and the terrorists lobbed 17 grenades in three minutes followed by indiscriminate firing by automatic weapons. As a rear administrative base camp, the HQs had fuel storage facility, which caught fire along with tents with soldiers sleeping in them.

The attack was executed at a strategically significant time as there was a movement of troops in the region at that time. 10 Dogra battalion had completed its two-year tenure and was moving out, while another battalion (6 Bihar) was coming into the new location. The 'handing-taking over' process was on and therefore the soldiers of 6 Bihar had to sleep in canvas tents near the fuel storage facility.  The terrorists fired incendiary ammunition along with an automatic fire of small arms that led to army tents / temporary shelters catching fire.  As a result of this dastardly attack, 17 army personnel were martyred. The firefight between the terrorists and Army Personnel continued till approximately 0830 hours, during which four terrorists were killed. All four killed were Foreign Terrorists and had some items with them which had Pakistani markings. 

An additional 19-30 soldiers were also injured in the attack. Most of the soldiers martyred were from the 10 Dogra and 6 Bihar battalions. One of the injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries on 19 September at R&R Hospital in New Delhi, followed by another soldier on 30 September, bringing the death toll to 19. Besides Sep Gangadhar Dalui, the other martyred brave hearts included Subedar Karnail Singh, Havildar Ravi Paul, Havildar Ashok Kumar Singh, Havildar Nimb Singh Rawat, Naik Raj Kishor Singh, Naik SK Vidyarthi, Lance Naik Ramesh Kumar Yadav, Lance Naik Galande CS, Sepoy Rakesh Singh, Sepoy Jawra Munda, Sepoy Naiman Kujur, Sepoy Uike Panjab Janrao, Sep Ganesh Shankar, Sepoy Biswajit Ghorai, Sepoy Harendra Yadav, Sepoy Thok SS, Sepoy Rajesh Kumar Singh and Sepoy Kulmathe VJ. The nation will remain grateful to these brave soldiers for their courage and supreme sacrifice. Sep Gangadhar Dalui was a gallant and committed soldier who laid down his life at the age of 21 years in the line of his duty.

Sep Gangadhar Dalui is survived by his father Shri Onkarnath Dalui, mother Smt Shikha Dalui and brother Shri Barun Dalui.