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Kargil heroes 18 Grenadiers head for Sierra Leone

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The 18 Grenadiers, heroes of the Kargil conflict, began their airlift to Sierra Leone this evening to join the UN peacekeepers in the western African nation, where 23 Indian soldiers continue to be in the custody of Revolutionary United Front rebels for more than two weeks now.

Vice chief of Army Lt Gen Chandrasekhar insisted that the battle-hardened Grenadiers' battalion, accompanied by a special team of Para Commandos, was going on a "peacekeeping mission."

The first batch of the 1500-strong troops would take off from the technical area of the international airport tonight in a specially chartered plane. Over the next three days, chartered planes from Russian republics and Canada would complete the airlift.

18 Grenadiers, who fought some of the bravest battles in Kargil last year, is being led by the Commanding Officer of Operation Vijay, Colonel Kushal Thakur. The battalion also has several medal winners among them.

The Grenadiers battalion won a Param Vir Chakra, besides one Mahavir Chakra and several other war medals in Kargil war. PVC Yogendra Singh Yadav, is not among the peacekeepers, as he is still undergoing medical treatment.

The Grenadiers carried out the successful takeover of the Tiger Hills, Hump and Tololing, barren heights in Kargil sector immortalised by last year's gruelling war between Indian troops and Pakistani intruders.

Lt Gen Chandrasekhar said the 18 Grenadiers "is a battalion whose reputation is already well known."

Lt Gen Chandrasekhar, while pointing out that the Lome peace accord between the warring factions had broken down, said the "rebels are not under control."

He said there are 23 Indian soldiers -- two officers, one junior commissioned officer and 20 other ranks -- still under the custody of the rebels. "They are not hostages, just detainees. They are all safe, Italian officers have met them," the senior Army officer said.

The Indian Army is rushing in 1500 soldiers in total to Sierra Leone to join the 1612 Indian soldiers already there. The new batch of soldiers, including all support troops, is being led by sector commander Brigadier R K Mehta.

Colonel Kushal Thakur said his battalion's duty in Sierra Leone is "different from that of Kargil, it is all together different." He said they had to change the thinking of the battle hardened troops. "Motivation is already there, we have done so well in Operation Vijay," he said.

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