Indian Army Lieutenant Triveni Singh and Special Forces Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri have been awarded Ashok Chakra, a defence ministry spokesman told the press on Thursday.

Lieutenant Triveni Singh became a real life hero when he gunned down two terrorists in direct combat at the Jammu Railway Station on January 2 this year.

"I am proud of our young officer Lieutenant Triveni Singh, who braved firing and grenade bursts to kill both the suicide group terrorists in the shortest-ever operation at the railway station," Rajinder Singh, general officer commanding, 26 Infantry Division, had said in Jammu after the operation.

Army sources said Singh, who headed the army's Quick Reaction Team posted at the station, spotted the two heavily armed Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorists forcing their way into the station in battle fatigues. Singh and his 'Ghatak Commandos' reached the spot within 10 minutes and cordoned off the station.

Singh took on the terrorists in a gunfight at close quarters. He faced indiscriminate firing. He succeeded in killing one of them.

The second terrorist lobbed a grenade at Singh, who was seriously injured. But even in an injured condition he killed the terrorist. Lt Singh succumbed to his injuries later.

Agencies