On 20 August 2021, Sepoy Lovepreet Singh of 11 Sikh, serving with 16 Rashtriya Rifles, made the supreme sacrifice while taking part in a counter-terrorism operation in the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal Range in Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir.
Lovepreet Singh was 23 years old and belonged to Gurdaspur, Punjab. He was serving in one of the most challenging operational environments in Jammu & Kashmir, where difficult mountainous terrain forms an important part of counter-terrorism operations. The Army described him as a brave, highly motivated and sincere soldier.
On that day, security forces were carrying out a planned counter-terrorism operation in the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal Range. The team was moving through a particularly difficult and treacherous route between Jabbiwal and Bagsar in Poonch.
Sepoy Lovepreet Singh was serving as a guide for the party, helping his fellow soldiers negotiate the difficult heights and rugged terrain.
At around 1:15 pm, while negotiating the challenging route, he lost his footing and suffered a fall of approximately forty feet into a gorge. Despite efforts to respond to the incident, he could not be saved.
His sacrifice came not during a conventional battlefield engagement, but while carrying out the demanding duties of a soldier during an operation in the mountains. It was a reminder that danger can emerge from the terrain itself, especially for troops operating in the steep and unforgiving heights of the Pir Panjal.
Lovepreet Singh came from Gurdaspur, Punjab, and was survived by his parents. His family later received support from the Punjab government, which announced an ex-gratia payment and a government job for the next of kin. Reports identified his father as Subedar (Retd.) Jaswinder Singh, his mother as Rawinder Kaur, and his brother as Sepoy Manpreet Singh, who was serving with 10 Sikh at the time.
The circumstances of his final operation also show the often unseen side of military service. Soldiers deployed in Jammu & Kashmir are required to navigate difficult terrain, long patrol routes and dangerous operational conditions, sometimes without knowing what the next step may bring.
Lovepreet was performing exactly that duty when he made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Army's tribute described him as a soldier whose bravery, motivation, sincerity and devotion to duty would always be remembered.
His name remains associated with 11 Sikh and 16 Rashtriya Rifles, and with the difficult mountains of Poonch where he spent his final moments serving alongside his fellow soldiers.
On 20 August, The Honour Post remembers:
Sepoy Lovepreet Singh
11 Sikh | 16 Rashtriya Rifles
Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir
20 August 2021
He was only twenty-three.
He went into the mountains as a soldier, guiding his comrades through difficult terrain, and never returned home.
His service is remembered.
His devotion to duty is honoured.
His supreme sacrifice will never be forgotten. 🇮🇳
**Lest We Forget.**
