General Purna Chandra Thapa, a decorated officer of the Nepal Army, was appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of the Himalayan nation on Sunday, according to a media report.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari conferred insignia on Thapa in a special programme organised at the Sheetal Niwas, the official residence of the President, My Republica reported.

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Earlier, the 58-year-old General had taken over as the acting Chief of the Army last month after the incumbent General Rajendra Chhetri went on leave.

Born to a military family in Nepal’s Lamjung district, Thapa has served across the globe as part of the UN Peacekeeping Operations. Besides military courses at home, Thapa has also completed training in the United States and India, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Thapa’s most important responsibility came as the head of mission and force commander — a rare opportunity for a Nepal Army officer in the UN Peacekeeping missions — of the UN Disengagement Observer Force in Golan Heights (West Asia) from February 2015 to February 2016.

The decision regarding Thapa’s appointment was taken during a Cabinet meeting last month.