Pathankot: On January 2, 2016, the entire nation woke up to the shocking news of Pathankot Air Force Base terror attack, which claimed the lives of seven military personnel and rendered 25 more injured. One of the injured brave sons of Mother India is Corporal Shailabh Gaur.

After an alert was sounded for a suspected terrorist attack, a batch of helicopters with thermal imagers was dispatched to survey the military base.

Within a few minutes after the take-off, the first images of the four suspects – moving slowly towards their mission – were captured and without any delay 12 Garud Commandos were called on duty where they were divided into ‘buddy’ teams.

The heroes of that fire-fight, Corporal Shailabh Gaur, Gursevak and Katal were a part of three buddy teams deployed outside the Mechanical Transport Wing.

When Gursevak took three bullets in a fierce exchange with the terrorists and was martyred, Shailabh took over his position under the command of Katal. Fighting for nearly half an hour, Shailabh took 6 bullets in his abdomen and kept on fighting even though he was bleeding profusely.

With six bullets in the abdomen, 24-year-old Gaur bled for his motherland, before being evacuated.

He was taken to the hospital just outside the base and after a critical surgery receiving 12-inch vertical cuts from the chest to the lower abdomen to save his ruptured intestines, this young brave heart is recuperating in the ICU wing.

Salutations to the brave soldiers of our country who place Mother India before their own lives!