Sharjah: Families of the UAE soldiers martyred in the line of duty in Yemen have spoken of their pride in the fallen servicemen. They said though the soldiers will be missed dearly, their sacrifice has made the entire nation proud and united.
On Friday, 45 UAE soldiers were killed in a missile attack by Al Houthi rebels in Yemen, where the soldiers were taking part in a Saudi Arabia-led coalition to restore the legitimate government of Yemen.
The UAE Air Force and Air Defence carried home their bodies on Saturday and funeral prayers were held in the emirates where they hailed from.
In Sharjah on Saturday, members of UAE’s ruling families and Armed Forces, top officials and other well-wishers paid tributes and condolences at the residence of Waleed Mohammad Al Yassi, who was martyred at the age of 27.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and other shaikhs also offered condolences on Saturday, a family member of Al Yassi said.
Al Yassi leaves behind a four-year-old son, two-year-old daughter and a wife who is pregnant, said his younger brother, Ali Mohammad Al Yassi.
Al Yassi was the eldest of 10 siblings — six bothers and four sisters — and lived in Sharjah’s Al Noaf district.
He had served in the Armed Forces for around 13 years, according to family members.
“Before Waleed left for Yemen, I got a text message from him saying, ‘take care of mom, yourself, and the family’. It was the last time I heard from him, around a month ago,” his brother Ali said.
Al Yassi’s cousin, Ali Al Yassi Abu Khalifa, added: “He had called me from Yemen, he was in good spirits. He told me a few times to care for his family. I said, ‘Waleed, you’re going to come back’.”
Al Yassi was described by his brother as someone who was “always with the family, he would anything for them. Yes, we miss him, but we are also happy he achieved martyrdom in the service of the nation”.
Another family mourning in Sharjah was the family of Ahmad Ghulom Lanqawi, who was in his 30s when he was killed in the line of duty. Lanqawi leaves behind a wife and four children — two sons and two daughters.
“We feel very sad because we lost a family member, but we are also proud of him because he has died a martyr defending his homeland. Our brother has made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation and people,” said Abdullah Lanqawi, his older brother.
Mohammad Lanqawi, another brother, said he talked to his brother just one day before he passed away, “He was in good spirits and said everything was fine, and that he would be back after two days and that there was nothing to worry about. He was looking forward to seeing his family and children.”
“He was in the military for more than 12 years so he was very committed to defending the country. This is what he wanted to do and we hope he will be accepted in paradise. We take pride in the fact that he served his country and people,” he added.
