Indian Army dog Domino and his handler Lance Naik Lucky Kumar were awarded the Northern Army Commendation Card for tracking down a Pakistani terrorist in the recent Rajouri encounter.
They were awarded on the spot by Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi where Domino sniffed the blood trail of the terrorists to find their hideouts. This helped the security forces locate and neutralize the threat.
The Northern Army Commendation Card is an award given to Indian Army personnel for gallantry, distinguished service, or devotion to duty.
Domino helped the troops reach the hideout of terrorists by sniffing his blood trail in the Kalakote area after he had been injured in a gunfight, Indian Army officials said.
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Friday visited the Kalakote area in Rajouri to revise the operational situation after the encounter in which two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists including its top commander were eliminated and five Indian Army personnel died in their line of duties.
The Lieutenant General was briefed on the operation, said the Army officials.
Five soldiers, including two Army Captains, lost their lives in the firefight carried over from Wednesday.
The encounter broke out between terrorists and a joint team of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharamsala.
The top LeT commander was identified as Quari. The army informed further that it recovered large quantities of 'War Like Stores' from the encounter site.
Quari was infamous for orchestrating several attacks, including the Dangri incident, where six innocent civilians lost their lives on January 23, and the Kandi attacks in Rajouri's Poonch areas.
His elimination marks a significant blow to the revival of terrorism in these districts, according to an army official.
Meanwhile, in heart-wrenching visuals from the wreath laying on Friday, army officers and soldiers were seen paying their last respects to their fallen comrades.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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