ARB celebrates 25th raising day

The 26th battalion of Assam Rifles, also known as Uzzual Chhabees, now deployed in Mizoram, on Saturday began the celebration of its 25th raising day by organising a cultural show and selection of Mister 26 AR.

The 26 Assam Rifles manned Mizoram's border with Myanmar and also border with neighbouring Manipur, the areas infested by North-East insurgents and also narco-terrorists.

Col Gaurav Chaturvedi, commandant of the battalion, said Uzzual Chhabees was raised in 1986 by Col S K Sachdeva at Agartala in Tripura. It was the first Assam Rifles battalion to be inducted in Jammu and Kashmir at the peak of insurgency.

It was also a part of Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka to become the first Assam Rifles to be nominated for a foreign assignment.

The battalion has been awarded COAS Unit Citation as well as Silver Salver from the governor of Jammu and Kashmir for its superlative performance in Operation Rakshak and also with GoC-in-C Eastern Command Unit Citation during Operation Orchid, Chaturvedi said.

He also said the battalion had carried out some major operations including "Operation Hifazat" and "Operation Delta Force", the largest ever ammunition recovery in Manipur and "Operation Gaurav" which led to the elimination of terrorists and recovery of arms and ammunition and warlike stores.