The army has lost a pioneering member of its combat team in Kashmir who, fitted with surveillance cameras, rushed into “places where even drones cannot help” during counter-insurgency operations, saving many soldiers’ lives.
Bajaj, the army’s first assault dog, who had defied death many times on the battlefield, died of natural causes on Tuesday after long illness, leaving his comrades grief-stricken.
The canine was a “symbol of loyalty, strength and courage” and a “true warrior” who “served the nation till his last breath”, the army said.
“Chinar Corps expresses heartfelt condolences on the demise of Assault Canine Dog ‘Bajaj’ on 15 July 2025 after a prolonged illness,” the army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X.
“Rest in peace, Braveheart,” it added.
Bajaj died young: he had begun his career just three years ago. Till then, the army’s canine squads were made mainly of sniffer dogs.
A spokesperson said Bajaj, integrated with the K9 Surveillance Camera System, had “participated in numerous high-risk counter-terrorism operations in the Kashmir valley, often leading from the front and safeguarding the lives of soldiers”.
Bajaj would often be the first to burst into houses and rooms occupied by militants, providing the troops with visuals that helped them to carry out their missions more precisely while inviting less risk.
His exceptional services earned Bajaj honours such as the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card (August 2022), GOC-in-C Commendation Card (January 2022) and the Chinar Medallion (2021).
“Bajaj had not been keeping well for a long period…. We are extremely saddened by his death,” an officer said.
He recalled the canine’s “first-in” assault role during an operation in Baramulla in 2022 when he cleared rooms for the main teams of the security forces. Bajaj was lucky to survive but lost his colleague, Axel, in the operation.
“Bajaj was a pioneer in integrating surveillance tools with canines in close combat operations, in places where even drones cannot help,” the officer said.