On the night of 2nd and 3rd July 199, Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey of the 1/11 Gurkha Rifles led his forces in an attack to secure Khalubar from intruding Pakistani forces.

The young officer raced ahead of his troops and charged at the enemy through a hail of bullets. Wounded in the shoulder and leg he pressed on his solitary charge till he reached the first bunker where the enemy engaged him in hand to hand combat. But he led low two of the Pakistanis and captured the bunker. The officer then led his men from the bunker to bunker, until the last enemy was inhabited.