Fujairah/Kalba: Emirati martyrs Major Pilot Ali Saeed Saif Al Mesmari and First Lieutenant Pilot Bader Yahiya Mohammad Al Marashdeh were laid to rest in Fujairah and Kalba respectively on Wednesday.
The two pilots were killed on Tuesday after their plane crashed due to a technical failure in Yemen. The incident occurred as the two pilots were performing their duty as part of the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen.
The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces announced on Tuesday the martyrdom of Al Mesmari and Al Marashdeh.
Al Mesmari was 34. He is survived by his wife, and three children — a daughter aged 10 and two sons aged 8 and 2.
Al Mesmari was among 11 siblings — three brothers and eight sisters.
His funeral prayers were held at Firfar mosque after Dhuhur prayer and he was buried in the Firfar cemetery.
Saif, the martyr’s elder brother, said that when his family heard the news, they felt proud of his sacrifice. All his family members, he said, are ready to sacrifice their souls to protect the nation’s security and stability.
“The whole country and I are proud of my brother and other martyrs,” he said.
Upon receiving the news, their father offered “thanksgiving prayers”, Saif said.
The last the father had spoken to his son was on Monday when the latter had called to check on his father’s health.
Saif said that his brother had always said that he would either come home in victory or in martyrdom and he achieved one of his wishes.
Al Mesmari, who served 15 years in UAE Armed Forces, had phoned his family from Yemen days before his death, Hassan Obaid Hassan Al Yamahi, his relative, told Gulf News.
“We all wish to die as martyrs ... his only wish was to attain martyrdom,” said a relative. “For us, there is no bigger honour. We all live for this honour,” the relative said.
Emirati martyr First Lieutenant Pilot Bader Yahiya Mohammad Al Marashdeh was laid to rest in Kalba.
Hundreds of Emiratis, residents and senior officials performed the funeral prayer for the martyr in Khor Kalba cemetery after Asr prayer.
They prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the martyr’s soul in Paradise and grant solace to his family.
The funeral prayer was held at Sayed Al Shuhad’a mosque.
Al Marashdeh joined military services six years ago and he joined UAE Armed Forces in Yemen four months back.
He was 24, and is survived by his wife, and one — year-old daughter Salama.
Al Marashdeh was among six siblings — three brothers and three sisters.
His uncle Sultan Al Zaabi, solider, told Gulf News that the martyr was loved by everyone he knew. He extended help to all.
“He was a loyal and faithful solider and a good man,” Al Zaabi said.
Al Marashdeh was from Kalba city of Sharjah, and was known for his love for humanitarian work. Al Zaabi described his martyred nephew as a “caring son and an affectionate father, kind and generous”. He would call and keep in touch with his parents, his wife and his brother and sisters, Al Zaabi said.
Al Marashdeh’s parents, though overwhelmed by grief, are also proud that he was martyred in the line of duty.
“Losing one of our heroes is a hard thing; however, he died in the line of duty, protecting our nation and homeland. It’s a loss for us and he will be missed,” Al Zaabi said
Shaikhs and senior officials visited the martyrs’ mourning majlis in Fujairah and Kalba offering the families their sincerest condolences.
