Bahadur Veeren Thapa stood atop the highest ridge on the southern perimeter of the Ladakhi establishment. His rank, Bahadur, was equivalent to a captain's rank. He was on his way with his squad of five elite Gurkhas near the very site where the enemy citadel had been obliterated just hours ago. The destruction had left an open area to cross over to the main enemy base camp.
From his vantage point, his sharp eyes scanned the Ladakhi encampment in the distance. The sight before him left him momentarily speechless—the aftermath of the second rocket barrage had turned the enemy's position into a charred ruin.
Men ran frantically, dousing burning tents with water, while others scrambled to carry the wounded or the dead away from the field. Thick columns of smoke billowed into the frozen air, obscuring the once-proud fortifications that had now been reduced to rubble. Almost half of the enemy base camp has been impacted.
