Subedar Sujjan Singh | Indian Army
13 Kumaon JCO who made the supreme sacrifice while leading his men against terrorists in Zalurah, Kupwara
Subedar Sujjan Singh was born on 30 March 1953 in Kanina Khas, Haryana. He served with 13 Kumaon and had earlier participated in the 1971 Indo-Pak War, including the deployment of his unit in the Longewala sector.
He rose through the ranks and was serving as a Subedar when 13 Kumaon was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terror operations in 1994.
On 25 September 1994, information was received about the presence of terrorists in the vicinity of Zalurah village in Kupwara. A search and destroy operation was planned in the difficult and heavily wooded terrain.
The operation commenced in the early hours of 26 September. Search parties moved into the area and began combing the nullahs, spurs and undergrowth around Zalurah.
At around 9 am, a search party commanded by Subedar Sujjan Singh located two terrorist hideouts near a narrow and steep nullah. The troops came under heavy fire from close range.
Realising that his men needed cover, Subedar Sujjan Singh moved towards the hideout despite the intense firing. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds but continued advancing.
He made the supreme sacrifice during the assault. His action enabled his comrades to press the attack, eliminate the terrorists and recover their weapons and ammunition.
For his extraordinary courage, leadership and supreme sacrifice, Subedar Sujjan Singh was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.
