Riasat Ali

Biography

Naik Riasat Ali hailed from Adhmi village in the Bapoli tehsil of Panipat district, Haryana, and was born on 05 June 1970. Passionate about serving in the Army since childhood, he enlisted on 02 November 1988 at the age of 18 and was inducted into the 22 Grenadiers Battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment, an infantry unit renowned for its valiant soldiers and numerous battle honours. By 1999 he had completed around 11 years of service, risen to the rank of Naik, and matured into a professionally competent and committed soldier. During June-July 1999, his unit was deployed in the Batalik sector of Ladakh as part of Operation Vijay, tasked with capturing the formidable Khalubar and Point 5287 complex along the Khalubar-Padma Go ridgeline. The assault commenced on the night of 30 June/01 July. Led by Major Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Naik Riasat Ali and his comrades reached their objective but faced a fierce enemy counter-attack. Heavily outnumbered, the Grenadiers fought continuously for three nights, inching forward amid heavily fortified bunkers and relentless artillery barrage at thousands of feet of elevation. During the exchange of fire Naik Riasat Ali was severely injured and succumbed to his wounds on 03 July 1999, aged 29, having played a significant role in the capture of Khalubar.