Royal tribute to fallen heroes

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday paid tribute to the loyal and brave Bahrainis who sacrificed their lives while defending the nation. 

King Hamad was speaking at Al Sakhir Palace on the occasion of the second Commemoration Day. 

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the ceremony. In his keynote speech on the occasion, HM the King said, “These heroes, who embody the values of patriotism, represent a source of pride and an iconic beacon in our national history.”

The December 17 Commemoration Day, he said, will always represent a defining moment in our national march, symbolising honour and pride in loyal Bahrainis who sacrificed their lives to promote the values of peace and justice and dispatch humanitarian aid to our brethren.

“Nations rise and thrive on the path of glory thanks to the dedicated endeavour of loyal citizens,” HM the King said, while taking pride in all martyrs over the history.

King Hamad also paid tribute to the martyrs’ families who remained steadfast, fostering the values of loyalty, abnegation and sacrifice.

On the occasion, Prince Salman met senior officers at the National Charter Monument.

HRH the Crown Prince stressed the crucial importance of the Commemoration Day and paid tribute to the martyrs of duty, hailing their sacrifices.

“We take pride in the sacrifices of the martyrs who fell in the line of duty for the sake of their homeland and nation,” Prince Salman said. The senior officers congratulated the leadership and the citizens on the anniversary of the establishment of the modern state of Bahrain in 1783 by Ahmed Al Fateh, the 45th Anniversary of its accession to the UN and the 17th Anniversary of HM the King’s Accession to the Throne.

Earlier, HM the King was received at the venue by National Guard Chief Lieutenant-General Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa and Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.