Sowar Ikbal Ali

Sowar Ikbal Ali hailed from Mardatoo Bari village in Fatehpur tehsil of Sikar district in Rajasthan and was born on 1st Jan 1982. Son of Shri Nabbu Khan, he joined the Army after completing his school education. He was recruited into 73 Armoured Regiment of the Armoured Corps, a corps well known for its powerful tanks and other heavy weaponry.  73 Armd Regt also known as 'The Desert Rats' was raised on 03 Dec 1971 at Ahmednagar with T-90 tanks. After completing his training he served in various operational areas and later got deputed to serve with the 24 RR battalion, deployed in J&K for counter-insurgency operations. 

 Operation Rakshak (J&K): 03 Aug 2006

During 2006, Swr Ikbal Ali’s unit 24 RR battalion was deployed in the Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir. The unit was engaged in operations against the militants on a regular basis as part of "Operation Rakshak". On 03 Aug 2006, there was an attempt by the militants from across the border to infiltrate into Indian territory.  The troops of the 24 RR battalion were already on high alert as the intelligence sources had informed the security forces about such possible attempts along the LOC. On getting specific intelligence, the troops of the 24 RR battalion launched a search and cordon operation in the suspected area in its AOR(Area of Responsibility). Swr Ikbal Ali was part of the team that was entrusted with the task of taking on the infiltrators.

As the search for the target was in progress, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire.  Sensing danger, Swr Ikbal Ali and his comrades immediately swung into action and took on the militants. With utter disregard to his personal safety, Swr Ikbal Ali repositioned himself and retaliated with accurate fire. This action of Swr Ikbal Ali blocked the escape route of terrorists but they continued to fire.  In the continuing gunfight, Swr Ikbal Ali got severely injured with multiple gunshots. He was later shifted to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Sowar Ikbal Ali was a valiant and dedicated soldier, who at the young age of 24 years, laid down his life in the service of the nation.