Abu Dhabi: The body of martyr First Lieutenant Abdul Aziz Saleh Sarhan Al Kaabi arrived on Thursday evening at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi, on board a military plane, accompanied by a number of armed forces officers.
A special military ceremony was held to receive the body of the martyr at the airport in the presence of a number of senior armed forces officers.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, offered their condolences to the family of First Lieutenant Abdul Aziz Saleh Sarhan Al Kaabi who was killed while on duty within the forces participating in Operation Restoring Hope, an Arab coalition-led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to back the legitimate government of Yemen.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed visited the martyr family’s home in Al Fouah in Al Ain.
Fulfil his dream
Both Shaikhs expressed sincere condolences to the family of the martyr
They asked God Almighty to grant the deceased eternal peace and to inspire his family patience and solace.
Thousands of people in Al Ain attended the martyr’s funeral prayers at midnight on Thursday and the Shaikh Zayed Mosque at Hilli was packed with crowds from Al Ain and other parts of the country.
The roads leading to the mosque were packed with cars as people paid tribute to a great martyr who was laid to rest later at Hilli cemetery.
Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, second deputy premier and minister of defence, said that martyr First Lieutenant Al Kaabi would receive the same treatment given to a Saudi martyr.
In Al Ain where the martyr lived and where his family resides, crowds massed at the home of Sarhan Saleh Al Kaabi, the martyr’s father. People came to offer condolences to the family, who received the news with unwavering faith and pride.
Despite the fact that the burial ceremony and funeral had not yet begun, the Al Kaabi Majlis was filled with people who came to offer the father their blessings for his son’s martyrdom, who had long dreamed of joining the armed forces and sought to fulfil his dream with diligence until graduating from military college, and then
joining UAE troops in Yemen.
First Lieutenant Al Kaabi was supposed to arrive in Al Ain to join his family and spend the Eid Al Fitr holidays with them.
However, destiny had other plans, and his Eid was to be spent in heaven, his family and friends said.
Sarhan Saleh Al Kaabi said, “My son Abdul Aziz is a martyr now and has met his creator on the blessed day of Eid. He is the son of the UAE, and our consolation is that he was martyred among the men of the UAE who are stationed in their posts for the righteous victory of this beloved country.”
‘Proud’
Faisal Al Kaabi, the martyr’s brother, said the last contact between the family and First Lieutenant Al Kaabi was two days ago, in which “he asked about us and we reassured him [of our welfare]. We also asked him about his condition and he said he was very happy. He was always smiling.” Faisal said his brother was enthusiastic, motivated and youthful. He loved the military and was keen on joining the military corps to serve the nation. He joined the Military College, where he graduated to join the Knights Force, and left for Yemen to contribute with the people of his country in Operation Restoring Hope.
“We all felt proud that a family members was a part of the operation,” said Faisal.
He added that Abdul Aziz was 24 years old, a lover of sport, and very sociable with many friends and colleagues. He was a happy and joyful character. He was not married.
