NEW YORK: Two Nepali peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty have been posthumously awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal.

The honors were presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the UN, received the medals on behalf of Corporal Suraj Lamichhane and Debi Ram Jaisi, who lost their lives while serving in the Central African Republic and East Timor missions, respectively.

Ambassador Thapa stated that the peacekeepers’ supreme sacrifice reflects Nepal’s unwavering commitment to global peace and security.

Nepal is currently the world’s top contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.