In a first, Centre releases names of six soldiers killed in Operation Sindoor: Here’s what we know

The Centre, on Friday, for the first time, officially disclosed the names of six Indian military personnel who lost their lives in action during Operation Sindoor in May last year, Hindustan Times reported.

India carried out Operation Sindoor, a cross-border military campaign in May targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes were in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley, in which at least 26 people were gunned down by terrorists.

The names of the six personnel were released on the National War Memorial’s website under the Roll of Honour section and were inscribed at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, making it the first official public acknowledgement of the fatalities suffered by the Indian armed forces during the operation.

Who were the six military personnel killed during Operation Sindoor?

The martyred personnel include 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 of the fallen soldiers have been inscribed on Wall 3D of the memorial in the 2025 section, which is dedicated to personnel who laid down their lives in the service of the nation.

Centre reveals number of casualties

The disclosure marks the first instance when the government officially revealed the identities of personnel who lost their lives and acknowledged casualties in the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor. This comes despite widespread reports and speculation about military casualties during the four-day military confrontation.

According to the report, the names of the six personnel suggest that the casualties were suffered by both the Indian Army and the Air Force, underscoring the coordinated and joint nature of the military operation.

Operation Sindoor

India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of 6 and 7 May in 2025, weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians, including one Nepali citizen, were killed.

The Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoK, targeting infrastructure linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The two sides agreed to halt military action after four days on 10 May, following talks between the two countries’ Directors General of Military Operations.

This is a developing story. More details awaited.