LEH: Army on Sunday gave a hero’s farewell to Ladakhi shepherd Tashi Namgyal, who played a crucial role in alerting the troops about Pakistani intrusion in the Kargil sector in 1999.
Namgyal passed away in central Ladakh’s Aryan Valley on Saturday.
“Army shall remain indebted to his contribution to the Nation and his selfless sacrifice shall forever be remembered,” the Fire and Fury Corps official handle said in a post on X.
“Immediate assistance has been provided to the family and continued support is assured,” it said in the tribute to Namgyal, “the first informant of the Kargil intrusion leading to the war”.
While searching for his missing Yaks in May 1999, Namgyal spotted Pakistani soldiers in Pathani attire digging bunkers atop the Batalik mountain range.
He promptly informed the Army, a timely warning that played a pivotal role in shaping India’s military response.
In recognition of his contriution to India’s decisive victory in the war, he would always be invited to the Kargil Vijay Diwas after 1999. He had attended the 25th anniversary function earlier this year in Drass.