\nIt was a life-threatening mission and Havildar Imli Akum Ao didn\u2019t have the required experience to take it on. But the Mahavir Chakra awardee volunteered to destroy a Pakistani ammunition dump, the lifeline of several mortars deployed in the Muskoh Valley during the Kargil war.
\nNot only did Havildar Ao accomplish the impossible mission successfully, he did so without a single casualty. And all he used were his bare hands, In.com reported on website Monday.
\nJust 24-year-old, Ao, who was then a sepoy, was part of the Naga scouts group especially roped in to lead the Army during an assault. Havildar Ao killed two Pakistani guards in hand-to-hand combat in broad daylight, saving the lives of several Indian soldiers.
\n\u201cIt was a very difficult mission and all those who participated in it were aware of the threat. Though Nagas are born warriors, a scout\u2019s job is the key to a mission\u2019s success,\u201d said an officer of the 2 Naga regiment, to which Havildar Ao belonged.
\nThe assault group\u2019s task involved killing the Pakistani soldiers guarding the mortar positions and ammunition depots. \u201cThe enemy positions were heavily guarded and the mission was to be carried out in daylight. But Ao volunteered for it,\u201d said the officer.
\nEarlier in the war, the unit had successfully cleared Point 4875 and Twin Humps, which were heavily fortified as well.
\nThe operation began on July 8, 1999 and the Naga scouts were asked to clear the way for the main assault group. The scouts didn\u2019t have any natural protection in the bare mountains and at 15,000 feet, movement was painfully slow. \u201cAs soon as the scouts reached the mortar positions, Havildar Ao started moving towards the first sentry. Even before the Pakistani soldier could guess anything, he was dead,\u201d said an officer from the unit. But Ao didn\u2019t stop and took down the next target soon after.
\nWith the sentries dead, the Indian company stormed the Pakistani mortar positions and soon the battle was won. \u201cThough Ao was injured, no one was killed,\u201d said the officer.
\nThe Naga sepoys recovered three 120-mm and two 81-mm mortars from the Pakistani posts other than a huge cache of arms and ammunition. While Ao was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his single-handed assault, an officer from the same unit, Major DK Shehrawat, was awarded the prestigious Vir Chakra. Though Havildar Ao\u2019s unit is now deployed in the hills of Uttaranchal, the braveheart is in Drass, commemorating Vijay Diwas.
\nMiD DAY couldn\u2019t contact him at the remote location. \u201cHe is a remarkable football player and archer. The unit loves him. He is very helpful and always ready to carry out impossible missions,\u201d said a young officer from Ao\u2019s unit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"