Centre Officially Names Six Soldiers Killed In Action During Operation Sindoor

More than a year after Operation Sindoor, the Union government has officially recorded the names of six military personnel who were killed in action during the operation by including them in the Roll of Honour at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. The move marks the first formal public listing of the fatalities from the operation, with their names also inscribed on the Tyag Chakra (Circle of Sacrifice).

The Roll of Honour has been updated to include the six personnel under the 2025 entries on Wall 3D of the memorial, which honours armed forces members who have laid down their lives in service of the nation since Independence. The inclusion comes as part of the memorial’s ongoing effort to document and preserve the record of military sacrifices across operations and conflicts.

The six personnel named are Subedar Major Pawan Kumar of Headquarters 10 Infantry Brigade, Rifleman Sunil Kumar of 4 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of 5 Field Regiment, Agniveer Mood Muralinaik of 851 Light Regiment, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh of 237 Field Workshop Company, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar of No. 39 Wing of the Indian Air Force. Two of them were posthumously decorated for gallantry for their actions during the operation.

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Rifleman Sunil Kumar was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry honour, while Sergeant Surendra Kumar received the Vayu Sena Medal. Officials noted that their recognition reflects their role in the operational response carried out during the mission, which was launched following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.

Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of May 7 last year, targeting nine terror-linked locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Hostilities ceased on May 10 after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan reached an understanding to halt military action.

Among those listed is Agniveer Mood Muralinaik, the only Agniveer personnel to have been killed during the operation. He died in Pakistani shelling in Poonch on May 9, 2025. His case has since become part of a legal challenge before the Bombay High Court, where his family has sought parity in pension and welfare benefits with those of regular servicemen. The Centre has maintained that Agniveers are entitled to benefits under the Agnipath scheme, but not to pensionary provisions applicable to permanent personnel.

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