Shubham Sharma

Biography

Rifleman Shubham Sharma hailed from Shakhian Chak village in Satraiyan tehsil of Jammu district in Jammu & Kashmir and was born in 1998. The son of Shri Vijay Kumar, he joined the Army at the age of 18 on 17 September 2016 after completing his school education. He was recruited into the 8 JAK Rifles battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment known for its brave soldiers and rich history of battle honours. During September-October 2020, Rifleman Sharma's unit was deployed in the Kupwara district of J&K, manning forward posts in the Nowgam sector along the Line of Control. The LOC remained highly active and volatile, with frequent and unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops. On the morning of 1 October 2020, Pakistan Army troops initiated unprovoked firing on Indian posts from across the border in the Nowgam sector, resorting to heavy cross-border fire using small arms, mortars and field guns. At the time, Rifleman Sharma was manning one of the forward posts along the Line of Control. The Indian Army responded firmly to the aggression, and a heavy exchange of fire ensued that continued intermittently for several hours. During this exchange, Havildar Kuldeep Singh, Rifleman Shubham Sharma and four other soldiers were severely injured. They were evacuated to the Army medical facility for treatment, but Havildar Kuldeep Singh and Rifleman Shubham Sharma later succumbed to their injuries. A brave and dedicated soldier, Rifleman Shubham Sharma laid down his life at the age of 22 in the line of duty.