On 03 July 1999, Lieutenant Balwan Singh with his Ghatak Platoon was tasked to assault the Tiger Hill Top from the North Eastern direction as part of a multi pronged attack. The route to the objective at 16,500 feet was snowbound and interspersed with crevasses and sheer falls.
The officer, with just three months service, set about his task with single-minded determination. The team, led and exhorted by him, moved for over twelve hours under intense artillery shelling to reach the designated spur.
This move took the enemy by complete surprise as his team used cliff assault mountaineering equipment to reach the top with stealth. On seeing the Ghataks, the enemy panicked and in desperation attempted to repulse the Ghataks. Though injured in the fight, Lieutenant Balwan Singh's resolve to finish the enemy remained unshaken. He refused to be evacuated and unmindful of his injury, moved swiftly to encircle the enemy and engaged them in close combat and single handedly killed four of the enemy. The remaining enemy personnel opted to flee rather than face the fury of the officer. The officer's inspirational leadership, conspicuous courage and bravery were instrumental in the capture of Tiger Hill, which was operationally one of the most important objectives in Dras Sector.
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