During the course of the anti-terror operations that went on for three days in Mumbai, National Security Guard commandos were called in to neutralise the terrorists holed up at Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels and at the Nariman House.
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a NSG commando with the 51 Special Action Group, led the commando operation launched on November 27 to flush out terrorists from Taj Mahal hotel in which he rescued 14 hostages but died fighting. He was awarded Ashok Chakra posthumously.
During the operation, Unnikrishnan's team came under intense hostile fire, in which one of his team members got grievously injured.
Major Sandeep, a Malayalam-speaking Bangalorean commissioned in to Army's Bihar Regiment, pinned down the terrorists with accurate fire and rescued the injured commando to safety. In the process, he was shot in his right arm.
Despite his injuries, he continued to fight the terrorists and later died, as the operation was still continuing.
Image: Inconsolable parents of Major Unnikrishnan.
Photograph: KPN Photos
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