Mandeep Singh

Biography

Naik Mandeep Singh hailed from Chatha Seerha village in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. The son of Smt Manjit Kaur, he grew up with two brothers, one of whom, Jagroop Singh, also went on to serve in the army. Mandeep Singh joined the army in 2010 at the age of twenty and was recruited into the 11th battalion of the Sikh Regiment, an infantry regiment renowned for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours. Over the years he proved himself a dependable and courageous soldier, rising to the rank of Naik. After serving with his parent unit, he was deputed to the 16 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, which was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. During 2021, the 16 RR battalion was deployed in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control, a highly active and volatile frontier where ceasefire violations were frequent and infiltration by terrorists, often aided by Pakistani security forces and Border Action Teams, was a constant threat. Acting on intelligence about the presence of four to five hardcore terrorists in the Surankote area of Poonch, the security forces launched a search and cordon operation on 11 October 2021, and Naik Mandeep Singh was part of the team assigned this task. The operation commenced in the early morning in the forested Chamrer area of Surankote and extended by evening to the adjoining Bhangai village of Rajouri district. In villages close to Dera Ki Gali, a fierce gun battle erupted with the cornered terrorists. During the heavy exchange of fire, Naik Mandeep Singh and four fellow soldiers were severely wounded by gunshots and later succumbed to their injuries. He laid down his life in the service of the nation.