A true soldier: All you need to know about Lance Naik Goswami who killed 10 militants in 11 days

Army commandos are supposed to be tough. An elite unit, they do not blink before jumping into a situation, whether a militant attack or some other dangerous operation. Valour, fearlessness is expected out of them. But then, there are some stories which begin where traditional courage ends. He gunned down 10 terrorists in 11 days before laying down his life in the line of duty. That’s the story of Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami, a Special Forces Commando of the Indian Army. Lance Naik Goswami took part in three counter-terrorism operations in the past two weeks. In 11 days and three operations, he gunned down 10 militants and captured one before meeting a martyr’s end — but not before ensuring the operation was a success. [caption id=“attachment_2425954” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Lance Naik Goswami.[/caption] The following is a look at Lance Naik Goswami’s life as a commando and the three back-to-back operations he took part in the last two weeks. ‘Elite’ beginning Lance Naik Goswami was from the village of Indira Nagar in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, and belonged to a family where being in the Army was a tradition. He joined the commandos in 2002. In a unit of tough men, he was considered one of the toughest. According to his seniors, Goswami had always willingly taken part in all operations undertaken by his elite unit and was a part of many successful counter-terror operations in the Jammu and Kashmir, a Hindustan Times report says. “He volunteered to join the elite para commando outfit of the Indian Army in 2002 and went on to gain the reputation of being one of the toughest soldiers of his unit — no small feat in an outfit that boasts of being one among the best in the world,” defence spokesperson of the Army’s Northern Command, Colonel SD Goswami said of the martyr. First operation The first operation was conducted in Khurmur, Handwara, on 23 August, and saw a night-long gunfight, resulting in the elimination of three hardcore Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists of Pakistani-origin. Second operation He volunteered for a second back-to-back operation in Rafiabad, Kashmir. The operation was conducted over two days on 26 and 27 August. It witnessed a fierce gunfight that led to the elimination of three more LeT terrorists, according to spokesperson of the Army’s Northern Command. Lashkar terrorist, Sajjad Ahmad alias Abu Ubed Ullah, resident of Muzzafargarh, Pakistan was captured alive in this operation . Sajjad Ahmed was literally smoked out from a cave in the heights of Rafiabad area in Baramulla, about 100 kms from Srinagar. Army officials said that on the intervening night of 23 and 24 August, technical intelligence was received about a group of militants having entered from ‘Qafirkhan’ heights and moving towards the Kazinag slopes above the Uri and Rafiabad areas. The first contact with militants was established in the wee hours of Wednesday morning when a team led by an Army Major killed one of the infiltrating terrorists, officials said. “In a slow and systematic operation owing to the difficult terrain and thick foliage, the forces re-established contact with the balance of the terrorists who had taken shelter inside a natural cave in the afternoon of 26 August,” the Army said. The firing continued till late afternoon after which there was a complete blackout from the other side, they said. More troops were rushed to the spot and Special Forces were airdropped for searching the terrorists, the official said. A team found a natural cave and on being checked, there was firing by terrorists hiding inside, the officials said. Troops retaliated strongly to the firing. Finally, they fired teargas shells and ‘chilly grenades’ into the cave to choke them and force them out. A ‘chilly grenade’ is a non-toxic weapon, officials said. After the silence of fire from inside, troops barged into the cave and saw three terrorists, belonging to LeT dead, while Sajjad was hiding and weeping, begging the forces not to kill him, the officials said. Third operation and death After the success of the Rafiabad operation, Lance Naik Goswami, once again, volunteered to be part of an operation launched in the dense Hafruda forest near Kupwara, Kashmir, on 3 September. Security forces, including troops of the army’s para regiment, to which Lance Naik Goswami belonged, Special Operations Group of state police (SOG) and CRPF, surrounded Vilgam (Handwara) village late on Wednesday following information about a group of militants hiding in the village. An encounter ensued in the dense Hafruda forest in which four militants and Lance Naik Goswami were killed. “This proved to be his last operation but not before elimination of four terrorists in a heavy gunbattle. A true soldier, he breathed his last in action,” the Army spokesperson said of Lance Naik’s valour. A martyr’s farewell The mortal remains of the commando were flown by an Indian Air Force aircraft to Bareilly, from where his body was taken by an Army helicopter to Pantnagar and onward to his hometown where he was cremated with full military honours. A large number of soldiers, army officers and villagers attended the funeral. According to a DNA report, Colonel AS Dabal paid tribute to Goswami on behalf of the ‘9 Para’ special forces unit. Uttarakhand minister HC Durgapal announced that a road in the village would be named after the martyr and promised financial help to the family from the part of the state government, the report said. Lance Naik Goswami is survived by his wife and a 7-year-old daughter. He was laid to rest near his father’s grave. A true hero, Lance Naik Goswami fought beyond the call of duty and was an important brick in the wall, the Indian Army, that stands between us and the militants. With inputs from agencies