The government has officially disclosed, for the first time, the names of six Indian military personnel who were killed in action during Operation Sindoor. The operation, conducted in May 2025, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The names have now been published in the Roll of Honour section on the National War Memorial website and inscribed at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, marking the first formal public acknowledgement of these fatalities.
According to Hindustan Times, the six personnel honoured 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 have been engraved on Wall 3D of the memorial in the 2025 section, which is dedicated to military personnel who laid down their lives in service of the nation as confirmed by official records. This marks the first time the government has formally acknowledged the identities of those killed during Operation Sindoor.
Until this disclosure, the government had not officially released the names of personnel killed in the operation, despite previous reports and speculation about military casualties during the four-day conflict in May 2025 as details emerged. The publication of the names on the National War Memorial's Roll of Honour serves as the first official confirmation of the armed forces personnel who lost their lives during the operation.
Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of 7 May 2025, following the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, most of whom were tourists according to official timelines. Indian armed forces conducted precision strikes on nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting infrastructure associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The newly revealed names indicate that the casualties during Operation Sindoor were spread across the Army and the Indian Air Force, reflecting the joint nature of the military campaign involving coordinated action by multiple services.
India and Pakistan agreed to halt military action on 10 May 2025, following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries as coverage revealed. Among those honoured is Rifleman Sunil Kumar, who was awarded the Vir Chakra for gallantry, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar, a recipient of the Vayu Medal, highlighting the role played by decorated personnel in the operation.
The National War Memorial, inaugurated in 2019 near India Gate, commemorates Indian armed forces personnel who have died in military operations and conflicts after Independence. The addition of the six names formally places Operation Sindoor among the operations remembered at the memorial as officially recorded.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.