Minty Agarwal who quickly alerted the IAF about PAF intrusion awarded Yudh Seva medal

New Delhi, Aug 14: Minty Agarwal, a woman IAF officer who played a key role as flight controller during the aerial combat with Pakistan in February, has been awarded Yudh Seva medal.

Squadron leader Agarwal quickly alerted the IAF teams after she spotted a large package of Pakistan Air Force planes heading towards Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on February 27, a day after India carried out Balakot strikes deep inside Pakistan, officials said. Her action helped the IAF to quickly respond to Pakistani aggression, they said.

The IAF received a total of 13 awards including five Yudh Seva Medals and seven Vayu Sena Medal. Besides Agarwal, the Yudh Seva medal winners are Air Commodore Sunil Kashinath Vidhate, Group Captain Yeshpal Singh Negi, Goup Captain Hemant Kumar, Group Captain Hansel Joseph Seqeira.

At least five IAF pilots who were part of the mission to strike a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot were among the military awardees. The defence ministry announced the military awards on the eve of Independence Day celebrations.

The Vayu Sena medal award winners are Group Captain Saumitra Tamaskar, Wing Commander Pranav Raj, Wing Commander Amit Ranjan, Sq Ldr Rahul Basoya, Sq Ldr Pankaj Arvind Bhujade , Sq Ldr B Karthik Narayan Reddy, Sq Ldr Shashank Singh.

IAF fighter jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot on February 26, nearly two weeks after the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan retaliated on February 27 by attempting to target Indian military installations.

PTI