Hav Neelam Singh Chib

Hav Neelam Singh Chib hailed from Dalpat-Chak Kripalpur village of Akhnoor Sub Division in the Jammu district of Jammu & Kashmir. Son of Shri Hurdev Singh Chib and Smt Karamjit Kaur, he had a younger brother Angad Singh as his sibling. Like many youths in Jammu, he always nursed the idea of serving in the Armed Forces. Following his passion he eventually joined the Army in the year 2003, after completing his initial education. He was recruited into the 9 Para (SF) battalion of the Parachute Regiment, an elite infantry Regiment well known for its daredevil para commandos and numerous bold operations.

After serving for few years, he got married to Ms Vandana, daughter of Capt Raghvir Singh Bhau (Retd) and the couple had a daughter Pawana and a son  Ankit.  During his service, Hav Neelam Singh Chib became part of dozens of successful operations in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir and brought laurels to his unit and the Army.  By 2023, Hav Neelam Singh had put in around twenty years of service and evolved into a battle hardened and committed soldier. 

Rajouri Operation(J&K) : 03-05 May 2023

During May 2023, Hav Neelam Singh Chib‘s unit 9 Para(SF) battalion was deployed in the Rajouri district of J&K. The unit troops were engaged in operations against the terrorists on a regular basis as the unit's area of responsibility (AOR) was active with militancy. The volatility of its AOR demanded 'high alert' at all times on the part of the troops. The area was also prone to infiltration, which necessitated regular armed patrols to check any infiltration from across the border. Following specific input about the presence of terrorists in the Kandi Forest in Rajouri district, a joint operation was launched on 03 May 2023. The terrorists belonged to the group that was involved in an ambush on an army truck in Poonch district on 20 April 2023. Hav Neelam Singh was part of the team that was assigned the task. 

The search operation continued for several hours and at about 0730 hours on 05 May 2023, the search team established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. The area around the cave was thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs. The terrorists felt threatened and opened fire at the troops who then retaliated. A fierce gun battle ensued thereafter The joint force deployed drones, and sniffer dogs and hit the cave hideout with heavy mortar fire and grenades. The terrorists were heavily armed and taking advantage of the safe place triggered an explosive device in retaliation. The resultant explosion had a devastating effect and many soldiers got severely injured. The injured soldiers including an officer were immediately shifted to the Command Hospital at Udhampur for medical treatment. However Hav Neelam Singh and four other soldiers soon succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. Besides Hav Neelam Singh, the other martyred brave hearts included Naik Arvind Kumar, Lance Naik Ruchin Singh Rawat, Paratrooper Siddhant Chettri, and Paratrooper Pramod Negi. Hav Neelam Singh Chib was a valiant and gritty soldier, who laid down his life in the service of the nation.

Hav Neelam Singh Chib is survived by his father Shri Hurdev Singh Chib, wife Smt Vandana, daughter Pawana and son  Ankit.