Major Khawar Saeed

Major Khawar Saeed hailed from the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh and was born on 02 October 1979. Son of Late Shri Sayyad Saeeduddin an advocate and Smt Nayyer Saeed a teacher by profession, he was inclined to join the Army since his childhood days and continued to follow his dream while growing up. Eventually, his dream came true when he got selected for the prestigious National Defence Academy after completing his class XII from Dayavati Modi Academy, Rampur in the year 1996. He passed out of the NDA in 1999 and went to IMA Dehradun for further training. He passed out as a Lieutenant from IMA Dehradun in the year 2000 at the age of 21 years. He was commissioned into the 7 Kumaon battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, an infantry Regiment known for its valour and battle honours in various operations.

After commissioning, he joined the field unit and soon gained proficiency in various operations. Besides being a fine officer with appreciable soldierly skills, he was an affable person with cheerful disposition. He was liked by his men under him and peers as well for his admirable qualities. In a short span of 3 years, he served in operational areas with challenging operating conditions and also got promoted to the rank of Major. 

Nathu La Operation (Sikkim): 15 Jun 2003

During Jun 2003, Maj Khawar Saeed's unit 7 Kumaon was deployed in East Sikkim near Nathu La Pass. Nathu La Pass was located on the watershed serving as a natural boundary and connected Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. This pass was of utmost importance to the Indian Army as it provided a tactical advantage of observation and fire. The posts of the unit were located in high-altitude areas with inhospitable terrain and extreme weather conditions. In addition to manning the stationary posts, the unit launched regular armed patrols to monitor the area between the posts. On 15 June 2003, owing to the heightened enemy activity near Nathu La Pass, the unit decided to launch a special mission patrol in its AOR (Area of Responsibility) under the leadership of Maj Khawar Saeed.

Maj Khawar Saeed along with his soldiers set off for the given task on 15 June 2003 as per the operational plan. The area was dotted with dangerous slopes, gorges, and slippery terrain.  Owing to the treacherous terrain, the soldiers had to exercise extreme caution while carrying out the patrol. Maj Khawar Saeed was continuously directing his men on the designated route. While doing so at one point Maj Khawar Saeed lost his balance and slipped. As the area had a steep gradient, Maj Khawar Saeed fell down the hill sustaining serious injuries. He later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Maj Khawar Saeed was a gallant soldier and a fine officer, who laid down his life at the age of 24 years in the service of the nation.

Major Khawar Saeed is survived by his mother Smt Nayyar Saeed and a brother.