New Delhi, January 25

Nineteen soldiers of the 4 and 9 Para, the special forces’ units which undertook the daring cross-border surgical strike across LoC, have been awarded gallantry medals, including a Kirti Chakra, while their commanding officers have been given Yudh Sewa Medal.Major Rohit Suri of 4 Para, who led one of the teams across the LoC targeting terrorists’ launch pads, was awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award, on the eve of the Republic Day.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar of the Gorkha Rifles got the Kirti Chakra posthumously.Col Kapil Yadav, commanding officer of 9 Para, and Col Harpreet Sandhu, Commanding Officer of 4 Para, were awarded the Yudh Sewa Medal, awarded to mark a high degree of distinguished service in an operational content. The award is the wartime equivalent of the Vishisht Seva Medal, which is a decoration for peacetime distinguished service.Five personnel from the two para units also got Shaurya Chakra, while 13 got Sena Medal (Gallantry).The Army conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control in September last year, after a terrorist attack on an Army camp in Uri claimed the lives of 19 jawans.Those who have been awarded posthumously included Naik Gawade Pandurang Mahadev, who has been given Shaurya Chakra.Lt Col Ranjit Singh Pawar, Maj Krishnan Manoj Kumar, Maj Amit Deswal, Naik Ran Singh, Naik Vijaykumar S, Sepoy Ram Chander of DSC, Sepoy Satya Prakash Singh and Sepoy Satish of DSC along with Signalman Ajay Singh Choudhary were awarded Sena Medal (Gallantry) posthumously.The President has approved award of 398 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces personnel and others. — PTI/TNS