Dipprasad Pun

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Dipprasad Pun is a Nepalese sergeant in the British Army’s Royal Gurkha Rifles. He was born in Bima, Nepal, around 1979 or 1980, and is the grandson of Tul Bahadur Pun.

On the night of September 17, 2010, during the War in Afghanistan, Pun was on sentry duty at a checkpoint near Babaji in Helmand Province. Taliban fighters attacked his post to plant an IED and surround the checkpoint with AK-47s and RPGs.

Believing he was about to die, Pun decided to fight back to save his comrades. He fired 250 rounds from his machine gun and 180 from his rifle, used 17 hand grenades and a Claymore mine, and even beat the last attacker to death with the tripod of his machine gun. The battle lasted about 17 minutes. His actions prevented the post from being overrun and saved the lives of three fellow soldiers.

Pun later said he had no choice but to fight, as the Taliban had surrounded the checkpoint and he was alone. His bravery was recognized with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. The event was described as one of the bravest moments in his battalion over two tours.