Prince Mohammed bin Salman kisses Colonel Abdullah Al-Suhyaan’s son. Al-Suhyaan was a commander of the special forces involved in operation “Restoring Hope” (SPA)

“They lived as heroes and died as heroes”. This is an accurate description of the Saudi Arabian soldiers and those from the Gulf who were martyred on the southern border whilst defending their country or fighting in battle to support legitimacy in Yemen. When any Gulf citizen walks on this earth, they should not forget that tens of martyrs sacrificed their lives and had their blood shed so that everyone else could live safely. These are the martyrs who forgot their families and their children and fought for their country.

They went and the story of their courage remains as a fragrance. They died with the love of this pure land in their hearts. The sorrow that their families feel at their loss is mixed with pride and they repeat “We don’t have anything more precious than the souls of our martyred sons and we offer them for the sake of our country”. These families said farewell to their martyred sons with tears and appreciated their readiness to make sacrifices for the sake of the homeland.

The father of a soldier named Mohammed Ali Ahmed Hikami who was martyred whilst performing his duties defending the southern border about 9 months ago said “Losing a son is a great tragedy, but I feel a mixture of pain and pride at the same time. My son was martyred defending his religion, our country and people, and this is a great source of pride for me and for all of my family”.

The story of Mani Ali Dahin Al-Yami is different but his family feels the same grief and loss when they relive the tragic events that stole his youth at approximately 11.20 on a Sunday morning in the Islamic month of Muharram.

Mani’s father Ali Al-Yami recounted his memory of the day on which his son was martyred in his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat. He said “It was a big tragedy for us, but the will of God is the most powerful. We cannot do anything except be patient and proud that our son became a martyr to duty and to the country”. Al-Yami paid tribute to his son by saying “He was a pleasant man and was compassionate to the young and the old. He was a devoted son and a fine young man”.

All the families of the martyrs believe that the martyrdom of their sons on the battlefield is a small part of the duty that every citizen has to this beloved country. The fact that they are ready to present their other sons and their money for the sake of their country shows their exceptional loyalty to it. This exceptional loyalty lives in the heart of every sincere citizen of Saudi Arabia.