New Delhi, June 26, 2026: In a significant development, the Government of India has, for the first time, officially made public the names of six Indian Armed Forces personnel who laid down their lives during Operation Sindoor, the cross-border military campaign launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The identities have been published in the Roll of Honour on the National War Memorial website and are being inscribed on the granite walls of the Tyag Chakra (Circle of Sacrifice) at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, ensuring their supreme sacrifice is permanently etched in the nation’s memory.
The six martyrs — five from the Indian Army and one from the Indian Air Force — will join the honoured list of personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice in various operations in 2025. This marks the first formal public disclosure of their names, although individual tributes and gallantry awards had been accorded earlier in some cases.
Background: The Pahalgam Attack and Launch of Operation Sindoor
On April 22, 2025, a terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists (including one Nepali national). The assailants, linked to Pakistan-based groups such as The Resistance Front (TRF) and associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, reportedly segregated victims by religion before opening fire. The attack represented one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in recent years.
In response, India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, 2025. The operation involved precision strikes by the Indian Armed Forces on nine terror launchpads and infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). Targets were linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The campaign utilised precision-guided munitions and demonstrated India’s resolve to strike deep into Pakistani territory when required.
The operation lasted approximately four days. Over 100 terrorists were neutralised. Pakistan responded with drone attacks and heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border, prompting further Indian actions, including strikes on radar installations. A ceasefire was agreed upon on May 10, 2025, following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries.
While the operation achieved its stated objectives of dismantling terror infrastructure, it came at a cost. Indian forces suffered casualties, primarily during the intense cross-border shelling and firing exchanges in sectors such as Poonch, Uri, and RS Pura.
The Six Martyrs
The government has now confirmed and publicly named the following personnel killed in action during Operation Sindoor:
- Subedar Major Pawan Kumar (Headquarters, 10 Infantry Brigade; associated with 25 Punjab Regiment), Indian Army — Hailing from Shahpur village in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. He was killed in Pakistani shelling in the Poonch sector. A veteran soldier nearing retirement (approximately three months away), he had chosen a forward posting. His mortal remains were cremated with full state honours in his native village.
- Rifleman Sunil Kumar (4th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry), Indian Army — Posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award. On May 7, 2025, during intense enemy cross-border firing at a border outpost, he displayed exceptional bravery by stepping out of cover to protect his comrades, ultimately making the supreme sacrifice. The award was presented to his parents, Smt. Sudesh Kumari and Shri Yashpal, during the Defence Investiture Ceremony in June 2026. He was approximately 25 years old and hailed from the Jammu region.
- Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar (5 Field Regiment), Indian Army.
- Agniveer Murali Naik (also referred to as Mood Murali Naik or Munda Murali Naik; 851 Light Regiment — Artillery), Indian Army — From Pudagundlapalli thanda / Kalli Thanda in Gorantla mandal, Sri Sathya Sai district, Andhra Pradesh. Aged 23 and the only son of Smt. M. Jyothibai and Shri M. Sreeram Naik, he had joined the Army under the Agnipath scheme in 2023. He was killed in cross-border shelling along the LoC. His last rites were performed with full honours in his village.
- Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh (237 Field Workshop Company), Indian Army — From Taranagar village in Bihar. He sustained grievous injuries during the operation and succumbed to them on June 6, 2025, while undergoing treatment at the Command Hospital in Udhampur. He had earlier been honoured with the Sena Medal for his service.
- Sergeant Surendra Kumar (39 Wing, Indian Air Force; Medical Assistant) — Posthumously awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Vayu Medal). He was killed on May 10, 2025, while providing critical operational and medical support to forward-deployed personnel in the RS Pura sector near the International Border during the escalation phase of the operation.
National War Memorial Inscription and Significance
The names of these six bravehearts are being engraved on Wall 3D of the National War Memorial in the dedicated 2025 section. The Tyag Chakra commemorates all personnel of the Indian Armed Forces who have made the supreme sacrifice since Independence. Their inclusion formally recognises Operation Sindoor among the nation’s honoured military campaigns.
This public disclosure, nearly 14 months after the operation, provides long-awaited closure and official recognition to the families and the nation. It underscores the human cost of decisive military action against terrorism while honouring the courage and professionalism of the fallen.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the first anniversary of the operation, had lauded the Armed Forces for their “unparalleled courage, precision and resolve” in responding to the Pahalgam attack and safeguarding national security.
The nation salutes Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Agniveer Murali Naik, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar. Their sacrifice will forever inspire generations of soldiers and citizens committed to defending India’s sovereignty and security against the scourge of terrorism.
