NSG dog 'Rocket', which burnt his paws while scouring for terrorists in a burning billet during the Pathankot IAF base attack, has been awarded the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) commendation for courage and obedience to command on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.
The two-and-a-half-year-old specially trained Belgian Malinois is a soldier of the elite commando forces' K9 (canine) unit, based at the National Security Guard garisson in Manesar.
The NSG headquarters had recommended the infantry patrol dog for an award for displaying "raw courage and dedication to duty" in the face of extreme threat and danger.
'Rocket' had walked into a burning airmen billet on the direction of his handler and brought back a pouch that indicated the presence of militants inside.
The assault dog, which is on deputation to the country's federal counter-terror force from Army, burnt his paws but that did not deter it from following the directions of its handler.
'Rocket' is one of the most trusted four-legged troopers of the K-9 (canine) squad, which is deployed with commandos during counter-terror and counter-hijack operations.
Commanding Officer of the NSG's bomb disposal squad Lt Col Niranjan E Kumar, who was killed while defusing a grenade at the scene of the terror attack, has been decorated posthumously with a 'Shaurya Chakra'.
Heavily armed terrorists had entered the strategic forward air force base on the intervening night of January 1-2 this year.
NSG had named the operation 'Dhangu Suraksha' borrowing the first name from the village where the air base is located and the second from its motto--'Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha' (Best security everywhere).
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