ITBP recommends gallantry awards for 21 personnel involved in Ladakh faceoff with China

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 14

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has recommended the names of 21 personnel for gallantry awards for their action during faceoffs and skirmishes with Chinese troops in May-June 2020 along the Himalayan frontier.

In addition, 294 ITBP personnel have been awarded the Director General's commendation rolls and insignias on the eve of Independence Day. Besides this, six personnel have been awarded for their courage in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh.

"The ITBP troops not only effectively used shields to protect themselves but also responded fiercely to PLA advancing troops and brought the situation under control," an ITBP spokesman said.

"With the highest order of professional skills, ITBP troops fought shoulder to shoulder and also brought the injured Indian Army troops to the rear," he added.

Even when the ITBP troops fought the whole night, they suffered minimum casualties and gave a befitting reply to the stone palters of the PLA. At places, they were involved in the standoff for 17 to 20 hours throughout the intervening nights, he said.

Due to the high altitude training and manoeuvre experience of the force in the Himalayas deployments, the ITBP troops kept the PLA troops at bay and due to the response of ITBP jawans at almost all fronts, many areas were safeguarded in the hypersensitive sector, the ITBP claimed.

The Force also recommended the names of 318 ITBP personnel and 40 other Central Armed Police Forces personnel for the Union Home Minister Special Operation Medals for their services in the fight against the Covid-19.

The ITBP has been at the forefront of the Covid-19 battle since January 2020 when it had established the biggest quarantine facility in Chhawla Camp for evacuees from Wuhan and Italy.

Besides dedicating its hospitals for Covid-19 patients of the central forces, it is also looking after the world’s biggest 10,000 bed capacity Sardar Patel Covid19 Care Centre and Hospital at Radha Soami Beas, New Delhi, since July 5.