British Military Dog Who Lost a Paw Tackling Al-Qaeda Insurgent Awarded Dickin Medal

Storyful
3 年前

A retired British military attack dog was awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross on November 24 after losing a paw while tackling an Al-Qaeda gunman during a 2019 raid in Afghanistan.

Kuno, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in London for “bravery and devotion to duty.”

In May 2019, Kuno was involved in a raid on an Al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan, in which British soldiers were pinned down by a lone insurgent, unable to move without sustaining casualties.

Kuno ran into the open and attacked the insurgent, sustaining several bullet wounds in his back legs. He was given first aid, but after multiple operations, one of his paws was amputated.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence said: “His instinctive courage and determination unlocked the stalemate and undoubtedly saved the lives of multiple coalition soldiers. The operation resulted in the most significant success against Al Qaeda for several years; Kuno was fundamental in this.” Credit: UK Ministry of Defence via Storyful