Maj Laishram Jyotin Singh, an Army doctor, charged an armed suicide attacker with bare hands at an Indian residential compound in Kabul on 26 February 2010.
The compound in Kabul
At 6:30 AM on 26 February 2010, attackers struck a guarded residential compound of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. It housed six Army medical officers, four paramedics and two other officers of an English language training team. A vehicle bomb killed three security guards, and a terrorist came in firing and throwing grenades.
Major Laishram Jyotin Singh, a medical officer, crawled out from the debris of his room when he heard shouts from colleagues trapped in a burning room. He charged the armed man with bare hands and pinned him down so that he could not fire at them or throw more grenades.
Singh held on until the attacker detonated his suicide vest. The blast killed them both. The Defence Ministry's account credits him with saving 10 colleagues.
Thirteen days into the posting
Singh had reached Kabul with the Indian Medical Mission on 13 February 2010. He was born on 14 May 1972 and schooled in Manipur, graduated in medicine from the Regional Institute of Medical Science, Imphal, in 1996, and was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on 15 February 2003. His parents lived at Nambol Awang Leikai in Bishnupur, Manipur.
The award was announced on the eve of Independence Day 2010 and conferred at the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2011.
Official text from the Press Information Bureau
At 0630 hrs of February 26, 2010, a guarded residential compound of Indian Embassy in Kabul, housing six army medical officers, four paramedics and two other Army officers of the English Language Training Team (ELTT) were suddenly attacked by heavily armed and determined terrorist suicide bombers. A terrorist, after detonating a Suicidal Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED) resulting in the death of three security guards, entered the compound to kill any survivors. The terrorist proceed to fire burst of Kalshnikov rounds into the individual rooms and started throwing hand grenades. In the melee, five unarmed officers took shelter in one of the rooms which was subjected to grenade attack and the fire on its roof spread consequently to the bathroom where another group of five officers were sheltered. On hearing shouts of the five officers, Maj Laishram Jytoin Singh crawled out from under the debris of his room. Maj Laishram Jyotin Singh charged with bare hands at the armed terrorist and pinned him down to ensure that the terrorists could no longer lob more grenades or direct fire at the officers cornered in a burning room. He continued to grapple with armed terrorist and did not let him go till the terrorist panicked and detonated his suicide vest, resulting in the instantaneous death of the terrorist and martyrdom of Maj Laishram Jyotin Singh. Maj Laishram Jyotin Singh gave up his life for the sake of five of his colleagues, one of whom unfortunately was still charred to death, and another succumbed to his injuries five days later. His sacrifice, in addition, also saved the lives of two officers, and four paramedics and two Afghan civilians still alive within the compound. For his act of exemplary courage, grit, selflessness and valour in the face of a terrorist attack, resulting in his sacrifice and saving 10 of his colleagues, Major Laishram Jyotin Singh was recommended for the award of Ashok Chakra (Posthumous) on Independence Day, August 15, 2010.
Source: Press Information Bureau release. Reproduced as printed, including any errors in the original.