Havildar Kul Bahadur Thapa, an avid mountaineer and combat diver was part of the troop deployed along the Line of Control to prevent enemy attacks on own posts in Sunderbani Sector. In February 2018, movement of four heavily armed hostiles, opposite own post, trying to infiltrate was observed by own troops. Discerning the threat to own posts, Havildar Kul immediately launched his squad. Undeterred by the unforgiving terrain, leading his squad, he crossed the freezing river and scaled a steep cliff to position the squad and established contact with the hostiles. In the ensuing firefight, own troops were pinned down by intense hostile fire.

Sensing the grave threat to own troops, Havildar Kul crawled under the hail of bullets to reposition himself and eliminated two hostiles at close range as also grievously injured other two by throwing grenades. The enemy intercepts later revealed the killed hostiles as his soldiers and injured hostiles as civilian accomplices to the infiltrating group.

For displaying most conspicuous gallantry, tactical acumen and outstanding leadership in combat, while killing two enemy soldiers and grievously injuring two hostile civilian accomplices, thereby preventing own casualties during the action, Havildar Kul Bahadur Thapa has been awarded “SHAURYA CHAKRA”.