Counter-terror ops bring military rich haul of medals

NEW DELHI:

IAF

Garud commando Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala has been posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry medal, while Major Vijayant Bist of the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry has been conferred with the second-highest Kirti Chakra in the Republic Day gallantry awards this year.

Nirala, who laid down his life while leading the charge in an encounter in which six dreaded terrorists were killed in Hajin area of J&K on November 18, is the first-ever IAF airman to get the country’s highest gallantry medal for a ground combat operation, as was first reported by TOI on Thursday.

“Nirala personally gunned down Ubaid alias Osama Jungi, the nephew of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and mastermind of the 26/11 terror strikes

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi

, and LeT north Kashmir commander Mehmud Bhai, apart from injuring two other terrorists. He was hit by a volley of small arms fire, but continued to retaliate to display indomitable courage. He later succumbed to his wounds,” said an officer. Major Bist, in turn, shot dead two infiltrating terrorists in an intense gunfight in Chorgali forest of

Uri district

in J&K on June 6 last year. During the operation, the officer also saved the life of an injured soldiers, while gallantly leading his men in neutralising three more terrorists. Three other Garud commandos, Sergeant Khairnar Milind Kishor (posthumous), Corporal Nilesh Kumar Nayan (posthumous) and Corporal Devendra Mehta, have been awarded Shaurya Chakras for counter-terrorism operations in J&K.

The other Shaurya Chakra awardees are Major Akhil Raj RV (Grenadiers), Captain Rohit Shukla (Rajput Regiment), Captain Abhinav Shukla (Para-Special Forces), Captain Pradeep Shoury Arya (Para-Territorial Army), Havildar Mubarik Ali (Grenadiers), Havildar Rabindra Thapa (Gorkha Rifles), Naik Narendra Singh (Para-SF), Naik Narendra Singh (Para-SF), Lance Naik Badher Hussain (J&K Light Infantry), paratrooper Manchu (Para-SF), CRPF assistant commandant Vikash Jakhar and sub-inspector Riyaz Alam Ansari.