Indian Army Dog 'Axel' Killed in Anti-Terrorist Operation in Kashmir Valley

The army dog was fired at in the midst of a building clearance operation, according to army officials.

(Photo Courtesy: Northern Command Indian Army Twitter) 

Two-year-old Axel, an Indian Army dog of the 26 Army Dog Unit, was killed in an anti-terrorist operation in the Pattan in the Baramulla district on Saturday. The dog was fired at in the midst of a building clearance operation, according to army officials.

During the encounter, a terrorist was killed and three security personnel were injured.

Axel was killed while deployed in an operation with 29 Rashtriya Rifles unit in the area of 10 Sector RR counter-insurgency force.

'Sent to Pinpoint Location of Terrorists,' Said Officials 

Axel and another sniffer dog were fitted with body cams and were sent inside to pinpoint the location of terrorists, a police officer told NDTV.

The encounter started at Wanigam village, where a joint-operation was launched by the police and the army after they received a tip-off about terrorist presence in the area.

Alex went inside one room and cleared it, army officials told ANI. When Axel entered the second room, it was fired upon. After around 15 seconds of being hit, it fell down.

The shooting continued and it was only after the operation was over that axel’s body was retrieved. The post mortem showed that Axel had sustained at least ten wounds and a fractured femur, besides bullet entry and exit wounds.

The army paid their last respects to Axel in Baramulla in J&K on Sunday.

The Northern Command of the Indian Army on its official Twitter account, paid its condolences to Axel, saying, “#ArmyCdrNC condoles the death of Assault Dog 'Axel'. Axel made the supreme sacrifice in an operation at #Pattan on 30 July 2022. A real hero in service to the #Nation.”

(With inputs from ANI and NDTV)