Third death anniversary of 1965 war hero MM Alam who downed five Indian aircraft in one minute

LAHORE (Staff Report) – Pakistan on Wednesday remembered Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmud Alam (MM Alam) on his third death anniversary.

Alam, also known as  Little Dragon, was a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilot who set a world record of destroying as many as five aircrafts within a minute during the war against India on September 7 1965.

During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Alam was posted at Sargodha Airbase where he flew North American F-86 Sabre fighter jet. He downed a total of as many as nine Indian aircrafts including six Hawker Hunters.

However, the total number of hits by Alam remained controversial as Indian authorities reported that one aircraft, claimed by Alam had encountered a technical fault and could not be counted as his hit.

He had developed a respiratory issue in his last days and he remained under treatment at the Pakistan Naval station Shifa Hospital. He was laid to rest at the Shuhuda Graveyard at PAF Masroor Airbase.

On March 20 2014, the PAF Mianwali Airbase was named after the PAF Brigadier-General. The famous M M Alam Road in Lahore is named after the war hero.

The government awarded Little Dragon national decoration, Sitara-e-Jurat for his exceptional service to the nation in 1965 war.