Lieutenant Commander Mritunjay Kumar was deployed for Operation RAKSHAK in Jammu and Kashmir from March 23, 2021, to October 3, 2021. During Operation SHOKBABA FOREST (2021), he demonstrated exceptional bravery and set a personal example that led to the successful elimination of terrorists and the saving of a soldier’s life.
Operation SHOKBABA FOREST (2021) was a joint Search and Destroy Operation (SADO) conducted by the 14th Rashtriya Rifles Battalion (GARH RIF) from July 23, 2021, to July 27, 2021. This operation was launched based on intelligence shared by the Jammu and Kashmir Police regarding the presence of terrorists in the Shok Baba Forest in Kashmir. At 23:00 hours on July 23, 2021, an outer cordon was established, and Lieutenant Commander Mritunjay Kumar led the MARCOS (Marine Commandos) team for the SADO in the challenging and dense mountainous forest terrain.
At 07:10 hours on July 24, 2021, two terrorists, who were hiding near a boulder, opened fire indiscriminately on the search team, resulting in Rifleman Pradeep Singh sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. While the terrorists were engaged in heavy retaliatory fire by the joint team, including the MARCOS, Lieutenant Commander Mritunjay Kumar noticed two other terrorists attempting to escape uphill. Despite being in a highly disadvantageous downhill position, the officer selflessly went beyond the call of duty. He discreetly tracked the fleeing terrorists and relayed their live positions to the control for readjustment of uphill stops.
The officer’s courageous pursuit and precise tracking of the terrorists, despite the treacherous terrain and his tactically disadvantaged position, led to the subsequent neutralization of both terrorists by the readjusted uphill stops. Afterward, Lieutenant Commander Mritunjay Kumar regrouped with the joint team at the initial contact site, where the engagement with terrorists was still ongoing. He conducted a hot extraction of Rifleman Pradeep Singh, evacuating him downhill to the MARCOS evacuation team, and provided immediate care by administering intravenous fluids and applying compression bandages during transit. This timely hot extraction and effective field trauma management played a critical role in the successful recovery of Rifleman Pradeep Singh.
Subsequently, the officer regrouped once again with the team at the initial contact site and tactically maneuvered himself into an uphill position, directly in the line of sight of the remaining hiding terrorists. In the ensuing firefight, the terrorists threw grenades at the officer, but he maintained tactical cover and directed accurate gunfire from other positions towards the terrorists. As a result, one terrorist was neutralized by friendly troops.
While the army troops approached the boulder to confirm the status of the neutralized terrorist, the second terrorist opened fire on them. Lieutenant Commander Mritunjay Kumar observed that the adjusted position of the second terrorist put his own approaching teams in a vulnerable position. Displaying complete disregard for his personal safety, the officer broke cover, unleashed a heavy volume of aimed fire to suppress the terrorist, and closed in on his position with a bulletproof shield. This action effectively stopped the terrorist’s firing.
Following this, the teams were repositioned, and a thorough search was conducted. The body of the neutralized terrorist, along with warlike stores, was recovered, and a blood trail of the second terrorist was observed. Two days later, the second terrorist was found dead in the general area of Shok Baba forest, having succumbed to his gunshot wounds.
In keeping with the highest traditions of the Indian Navy, Lt Cdr Mritunjay Kumar went beyond the call of his duty during OP SHOKBABA FOREST (2021) displaying rare courage, personal example and selfless daring for which he is awarded the Shaurya Chakra.
