Galwan braveheart Col Santhosh Babu awarded Mahavir Chakra, 5 martyrs awarded Vir Chakra

Honouring the Galwan Bravehearts who laid down their lives at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu has been awarded Mahavir Chakra posthumously on Monday. Five other Galwan Bravehearts - Nb Sub Nuduram Soren, Hav K Palani, Hav Tejinder Singh, Nk Deepak Singh, Sep Gurtej Singh have also been awarded Chakra series wartime gallantry medals posthumously. Similarly, Major Anuj Sood who died in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir in May 2020, has been awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. Sood along with his Commanding Officer Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Naik Rajesh Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Singh and Kashmir police officer Shageer Qazi Pathan were martyred in a hostage rescue mission in Handwara on May 2.

LAC talks: India rejects China's 'equidistant disengagement' idea in Ladakh's Finger area

Galwan Bravehearts awarded

• Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu - Mahavir Chakra
• NB Sub Nuduram Soren - Vir Chakra
• Hav K Palani - Vir Chakra
• Hav Tejinder Singh - Vir Chakra
• Nk Deepak Singh - Vir Chakra
• Sep Gurtej Singh - Vir Chakra

Here are list of awardees:

LAC row: India-China agree to 10th military-level talks at earliest after 'positive talks'

What happened at Galwan?

20 Indian Army soldiers including Commanding Officer were martyred when a violent faceoff took place on Monday night while the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley. Sources revealed that India's colonel Santosh Babu and two jawans were attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods while removing a tent put up by China at patrol point 14, leading to hand-to-hand combat. While three soldiers were killed in action, 17 other succumbed to their injuries and hypothermia. Four others were in critical but stable condition, while 72 others recuperated from minor injuries at various hospitals. China, which has not revealed its casualties from June 15 clashes, has admitted the loss of a Commanding officer.

The 9th round of India-China talks was held on Sunday after a gap of over two-and-half months, specifically focusing on ways to move forward on the long-negotiated disengagement process in eastern Ladakh as thousands of their troops remained deployed at friction points under freezing conditions. Close to 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops are deployed in eastern Ladakh as both sides have been holding on to their ground and showing readiness for a long-haul, amid continuing diplomatic and military talks to find an amicable solution. The two sides have agreed to early disengagement of the frontline troops and hold 10th round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at an early date.

Shinzo Abe, S P Balasubrahmanyam awarded Padma Vibhushan; Full list of Padma awardees here