Family happy over late IAF Commando Nirala's Ashok Chakra honour

The family members of Indian Air Force (IAF) Commander Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala, who will be conferred with the Ashok Chakra posthumously, expressed their pride on their son's sacrifice.

"I am very happy that my son's sacrifice for the nation did not go in vain. We feel very proud that the govt of India will award him with Ashok Chakra. Every Jawan of India should safeguard the nation in any possible way," Tej Narayan Singh, Nirala's father, told ANI.

The late IAF Commander Corporal's wife Sushma told ANI, "I feel very proud that I am the wife of such brave soldier of this country, who had sacrificed his life for the sake of the nation."

Ashok Chakra is India's highest peacetime military award that will be awarded to Indian Air Force (IAF) Commander Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala posthumously for his service to the nation by President Ram Nath Kovind. The award will be received by his family on the 69th Republic Day.

On November 18, last year, based on specific tech intelligence, an operation was launched jointly by the Garud detachment and 13 RR in Chanderger village of Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir. The Garud detachment covertly approached the target house, where the suspected terrorists were hiding and laid a close quarter ambush. Cpl Nirala, displaying exceptional battle craft, positioned himself close to the approach of the hideout, thus cutting off all possibilities of an escape by the insurgents. Laying this ambush itself at such close quarters demanded a very high degree of courage and professional acumen, read an official statement.

While the detachment laid in wait, six terrorists hiding in the house, rushed out, shooting and lobbing grenades at the Garuds. Cpl Nirala, disregarding personal safety and displaying indomitable courage, retaliated with effective lethal fire and gunned down a category 'A' terrorist named Ubaid Alias Osama Jungi (nephew of LeT commander Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi). Readjusting his position to protect his colleagues and preventing other terrorists from escaping, Cpl Nirala killed one more category 'A+' terrorist, named Mehmud Bhai (LeT North Kashmir commander) and injured two others. In this violent exchange of fire, Cpl Nirala was hit by a volley of small arms fire. Despite being critically injured, the Corporal continued retaliatory fire. Subsequently, he succumbed to fatal gunshot wounds received in the fierce encounter, which resulted in the killing of all six dreaded terrorists, it added.