Operation Sindoor: Government names six soldiers killed in action, first official disclosure of casualties

The government has, for the first time, officially released the names of six Indian military personnel who were killed during Operation Sindoor, the cross-border military operation launched to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in May 2025.

The names of the fallen personnel have been added to the Roll of Honour on the National War Memorial website and engraved at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, marking the first formal acknowledgement of the Indian armed forces’ losses during the operation.

The six personnel named are:

• Subedar Major Pawan Kumar of Headquarters 10 Infantry Brigade
• Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Vir Chakra, of 4 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
• Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of 5 Field Regiment
• Aviation Technician Mood Muralinaik of 851 Light Regiment
• Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh of 237 Field Workshop Company
• Sergeant Surendra Kumar, Vayu Medal, of 39 Wing

Their names have been inscribed on Wall 3D of the memorial under the 2025 section dedicated to personnel who sacrificed their lives in service of the nation.

First official confirmation of Operation Sindoor casualties

Until now, the government had not publicly revealed the identities of those killed during Operation Sindoor, even as reports and speculation emerged about military casualties during the four-day India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025.

The inclusion of the names in the National War Memorial’s Roll of Honour is the first official confirmation of the personnel who lost their lives during the operation.

Operation Sindoor launched after Pahalgam terror attack

Operation Sindoor began in the early hours of May 7, 2025, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians, including tourists, were killed.

The Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on nine terror-linked locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting infrastructure associated with groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Military operations between India and Pakistan were halted on May 10 after communication between the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries.

Army and Air Force personnel among those honoured

The names revealed show that the casualties involved personnel from both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, highlighting the joint nature of the operation.

Among those honoured were Rifleman Sunil Kumar, who received the Vir Chakra for gallantry, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar, who was awarded the Vayu Medal.

The National War Memorial, inaugurated in 2019 near India Gate, commemorates Indian armed forces personnel who have lost their lives in military operations and conflicts after Independence. With the addition of these names, Operation Sindoor has now been formally included among the operations remembered at the memorial.