Army commemorates first anniversary of Operation Sindoor in Rajouri

The Indian Army on Sunday organised a commemorative event in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri to mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, paying tributes to soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in cross-border shelling during the military action last year.

The Indian Army on Sunday organised a commemorative event in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri to mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, paying tributes to soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in cross-border shelling during the military action last year. The event held at the war memorial established at Gujjar Mandi Chowk to honour the heroes of Operation Sindoor was attended by senior Army officers, civil officials, police officers, locals and students, a defence PRO said. General Officer Commanding of the 'Ace of Spades' division of the Army, Major General Kaushik Mukherjee, led the tribute ceremony by paying homage to the martyrs, lauding their courage, sacrifice and dedication to the nation. Floral tributes were offered in memory of the fallen heroes, including Raj Kumar Thappa, then-additional deputy commissioner (ADC), Rajouri, and four Army personnel – Subedar Major Pawan Singh, Havildar Sunil Singh, Lance Naik Dinesh Singh and Agniveer Mood Murlinaik, the PRO said. A 'mashaal' rally, led by Army personnel and students, passed through various parts of Rajouri that came under heavy shelling on May 10, 2025. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, carrying out airstrikes on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) that eliminated at least 100 terrorists. The strikes triggered a rapid escalation in tensions, with Pakistan launching retaliatory strikes, though most of them were thwarted by the Indian military. The hostilities ended with an understanding on halting the military actions on May 10 following talks over the hotline between Army officers from the two sides. Officials said Rajouri witnessed intense shelling on May 10 last year, in which three civilians, including Thappa, were killed while several areas suffered extensive damage. Students from the Delhi Public School, Doon International School, Government Boys Higher Secondary School and Army Goodwill Public School participated in the event to pay tributes to the martyrs. Rajouri-Poonch range DIG Sandeep Wazir and ADC Malikzada Sheraz-ul-Haq also attended the event.