SATARA (PTI): President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday conferred the Shaurya Chakra gallantry award to Major Maheshkumar Bhure, an alumnus of Sainik School Satara, who led an operation in which six top terrorist commanders were killed.

Major Bhure, a young Captain in the Indian Army during the operation three years ago, was presented the medal during the Defence Investiture Ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On 25 November 2018, Captain Maheshkumar Bhure led a team in Jammu & Kashmir, wherein he planned and led the operation in which six top terrorist commanders were eliminated, reads the Shaurya Chakra citation.

Captain Maheshkumar Bhure cordoned the target house and achieved complete surprise, thereby trapping the terrorists. The terrorists attempted to break the cordon in darkness by lobbing grenades and firing indiscriminately. As they ran towards his position, the officer retaliated with deadly accurate fire at close range, thereby killing a terrorist and forcing the other terrorists to retreat back, it adds.

Seeing his buddy wounded in this fire fight, Captain Maheshkumar Bhure put himself at great risk and personally evacuated him under very heavy fire. He then readjusted the cordon to prevent any escape and was able to pin down the terrorists, the citation says.

Thereafter, with raw courage and steely determination he crawled forward under intense fire and at point blank range killed one more terrorist.

Captain Maheshkumar Bhure displayed exemplary leadership and unparalleled courage under the most challenging circumstances, it adds.

Major Bhure (30) hails from Osmanabad district in Maharashtra. He graduated in electrical engineering from Pune university. He joined the Army in 2014.

Last year, Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Wani, Major Bhure's buddy in the operation, was posthumously awarded Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration.