Mahavir Chakra awardee Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, 61, died of a heart attack at his home in Leh, Ladakh. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh condoles the death of Kargil war hero Indian Army Has also expressed condolences. Late Colonel Wangchuk was awarded India’s second highest gallantry award for his role in the lesser-known Batalik sector during Operation Vijay.

during kargil warMajor Sonam Wangchuk then led a daring mission in Batalik sector on remote Chorbat Range. This range is almost midway between Kargil and Turtuk, and an 18,000-high watershed also separates the two places. The area was also an important logistics center supplying the Batalik Sector front to its south east and the Turtuk Sector front to its south west. Before the conflict the Pakistanis had established a strong presence in the region.On 28 May 1999, the then Major Sonam Wangchuk, then posted in the Ladakh Scouts, was tasked with setting up an observation post at a strategic point on Chorbat La. The officer led a small team of a JCO and three jawans, they came into contact with four Pakistani soldiers and killed two of them in an encounter, while the other two fled.The brave officer was then assigned the task of strengthening the post which was likely to be attacked by the Pakistani Army. The officer roamed around throughout the night to strengthen the post, he along with 12 others strengthened the post. The Pakistanis shelled the post for six hours and then unsuccessfully attacked the post. The brave officer then attacked a feature near the observation post and killed six enemy soldiers. Two posts ‘Sonam 1’ and ‘Sonam 2’ in Batalik sector have been named in his honour. For these series of sustained gallant actions, the then Major Wangchuk was decorated with India’s second highest wartime gallantry award.In 2017, President Rajnath Kovind released a documentary titled ‘lion of ladakh‘How he and the troops under his command captured Pakistani positions under very difficult circumstances.Apart from serving in the Kargil War, Colonel Wangchuk, posted to the Assam Regiment, had also served in insurgency-hit Manipur. He was also deployed to Sri Lanka under Operation Pawan.