British dog gets Victoria Cross for 'heroic action' against Al-Qaeda gunman in Afghanistan

A British dog named Kuno, who served with the UK's soldiers in Afghanistan has been awarded the 'Dickin Medal’, which is equivalent to 'Victoria Cross', for charging an Al-Qaeda gunman in Afghanistan. Kuno was a part of an assault force which raided a compound in an undisclosed mountainous region. As per the reports by the Medium, the four-year-old Belgian Shepherd Malinois has already completed 16 operations over a 5-month period. 

Kuno the brave dog 

The reports suggest that Kuno and his handler were the first ones to get off the helicopter. Both of them came under a burst of machine gun fire from Al Qaeda insurgents. However, fortunately, nobody was injured. Kuno was the first one to clear up the way when the assault team entered the compound. After taking down the enemy, the brave dog started discovering weapons and explosives. As the team entered another building, the handler of the dog got injured and released the ‘four-legged soldier’. As Kuno moved towards the insurgent, he was attacked numerous times. Unaffected, the dog managed to hit out the insurgent. 

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(Image Credits: Medium.com)

(Image Credits: Medium.com)

(Image Credits: Medium.com)

(Kuno’s is the first Military Working Dog to be fitted with a prosthetic paw. Courtesy of PDSA. Image Credits: Medium.com)

(Image Credits: Medium.com)

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Unfortunately, during the mission, Kuno sustained several injuries. However, he was given immediate first aid and received life-saving treatment. Reports suggest that his injuries were severe as one bullet had narrowly missed a main artery and he required lifesaving operations. Due to the heavy injury, his rear paw could not be saved and was amputated.

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(Image Credits: Twitter/DefenceHQ)