India has given birth to many a brave who place the motherland over and above everything else. Anyone casting an evil eye on India has been their biggest enemy. They sacrificed their life to safeguard the integrity and unity of the country. One such noble and brave soul was Capt Atul Sharma.

On the morning of November 15, last year at about 0630 hours, a column of Widdhipura Company under Capt Atul Sharma moved out for a speculative search of Khande Mohalla in Pattan town. During the search operations, Rfn Satyavir Singh and Rfn Vijay Singh observed two persons moving suspiciously. On close interrogation, they turned out to be terrorists who were trying to flee after hiding their arms. The interrogation also revealed the presence of a few more terrorists in a nearby house.

Capt Atul Sharma immediately gave orders to cordon off the suspected house. As the cordon was being applied, the hiding terrorists panicked and opened fire. Rfn Satyavir Singh and Rfn Vijay Singh were tasked to close in with the house from where the column was being fired upon. Seeing the audacious move of the two, the terrorists responded with a heavy volume of fire.

In the fierce exchange of fire, both Rfn Satyavir Singh and Rfn Vijay Singh sustained gun shot wounds. Capt Atul Sharma quickly nominated a party to engage the terrorists and cover his move. On seeing Capt Atul Sharma and his buddy closing in towards the house, the terrorists in a desperate bid to flee broke the cordon by rushing out of the house. Capt Atul Sharma by then was very close to the house and hence came face to face with the fleeing terrorists.

Capt Atul Sharma stood his ground and opened heavy fire on the terrorists and shot them dead. In the fierce exchange of fire with the terrorists, Capt Atul Sharma sustained a gun shot wound in the neck and attained martyrdom. The operation resulted in death of one terrorist of Lashker-e-Toiba and capture of another terrorist belonging to Hizbul Mujhaddin. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was also recoverd.

Capt Atul Sharma was commissioned from OTA, Chennai into 48 Air Defence Regiment, popularly known as Sky Shooters on September 5, 1997. He was posted to 29 RR Bn on June 19, 2000.

This gallant officer was born on November 13, 1971 at Chandigarh. He was also a winner of gold medal in M.Sc. (biochemistry) from Punjab University, Chandigarh.

The Sky Shooters have resolved to celebrate November 15 every year as Shaheed Divas in rememberance of their gallant soldier who laid down his life in the highest traditions of the Army.