A 23-year-old courageous soldier of the Gurkha regiment killed a Pakistani trained infiltrator during a hand-to-hand combat along the Line of Control in Poonch in the wee hours of Saturday.

Defence PRO in Jammu said, "A 23-year-old soldier from the elite Gurkha Regiment of the Indian Army, Rifleman Prem Bahadur Roka Magar scripted an astonishing saga of raw courage and fearlessness, resulting in the elimination of two hardcore Pakistan trained terrorists in the Poonch sector".

"The brave soldier after reaching within hand shaking distance tried to grab the AK 47 rifle of the Pak trained infiltrator and in the ensuing melee he escaped a gun shot and dropped his own weapon," the PRO added.

"Without paying attention to his own safety the fearless solider pounced on the infiltrator and grappled with him before the two fell in a near by nallah."

Acting on intelligence inputs about the possible infiltration in the area, the troops were deployed in a group of multiple ambushes near the Baghialdhara Nallah on the Line of Control.

The PRO further said before hand-to-hand combat Magar and his ambush party spotted a group of terrorists and eliminated one with precise and controlled fire of automatic weapons, after tracking them with night vision devices for some time.

What followed was the stuff of legends when Magar, in darkness and extremely thick foliage, initially mistaken for another armed militant to be one his colleagues, moved to within hand shaking distance of him, and was almost shot down and in the process also dropped his own weapon.

Completely displaying nerves of steel with scant regard for his own safety, the courageous Gurkha engaged in a fierce physical duel with the terrorist while simultaneously grabbing his AK 47 which was spewing a hail of fire.

The two grappled and rolled down the hillside, finally disengaging with a fall in another Nallah.

The militant, now clearly unnerved by the boldness of the braveheart, tried to make good his escape. Magar though bereft of his personal weapon, whipped out a hand grenade and hurled it at the fleeing miscreant killing him instantaneously, thus bringing to conclusion another heroic chapter that epitomizes the character and ethos of the Indian Army and its matchless soldiers.