The Government of India has, for the first time, officially disclosed the names of six military personnel who lost their lives during Operation Sindoor, the cross-border military operation launched in May 2025 following the terror attack in Pahalgam.

The names have been published in the Roll of Honour on the National War Memorial website and engraved on Wall 3D of the National War Memorial in New Delhi. The inclusion marks the first formal public acknowledgement of military casualties during the operation.

The personnel honoured are Subedar Major Pawan Kumar of Headquarters 10 Infantry Brigade, Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Vir Chakra, of 4 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of 5 Field Regiment, Aviation Technician Mood Muralinaik of 851 Light Regiment, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh of 237 Field Workshop Company, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar, Vayu Medal, of 39 Wing.

The names have been added to the memorial's 2025 Roll of Honour, which commemorates armed forces personnel who laid down their lives in service to the nation.

Until now, the government had not officially identified personnel killed during Operation Sindoor, despite reports of casualties during the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May 2025. The publication of the names is the first official confirmation of those who died during the operation.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, most of them tourists. During the operation, Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that India said were linked to terrorist organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Military action between India and Pakistan came to a halt on May 10 after talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries.

The newly disclosed names indicate that those who lost their lives during Operation Sindoor belonged to both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, reflecting the joint nature of the operation. Among them were gallantry award recipient Rifleman Sunil Kumar, who was awarded the Vir Chakra, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar, a recipient of the Vayu Medal.

The National War Memorial, inaugurated in 2019 near India Gate in New Delhi, honours members of the Indian armed forces who have died in military operations and conflicts since Independence. The addition of these six names formally recognises Operation Sindoor as part of the memorial's record of military service and sacrifice.

Sources: Hindustan Times