by Associated Press – Lebanon has held a state funeral for 10 of its soldiers captured and killed by the Islamic State group. President Michel Aoun presided over Friday’s ceremony in honor of the soldiers held at the Defense Ministry near Beirut. The bodies of the soldiers were recovered late last month following an army offensive to wipe out hundreds of IS militants who were occupying parts of the Lebanese-Syria border region since 2014.

by Daily Star Lebanon – Army Commander Maj. Gen. Joseph Aoun gave the opening speech at the ceremony, where he mourned the death of the servicemen. “We are gathered here today on this emotional occasion that is filled with great sacrifices offered by the sons of the military institution who declared their complete readiness to defend the country and to martyr for its sake the minute they were abducted by the hands of brutal terrorists,” Gen. Aoun said. “Our joy in the victory over terrorism remains sorrowful for we were hoping that we manage to free you unharmed from the hands of the terrorism so that you may return to your Army and families in order to participate with us in this historic achievement,” Gen. Aoun continued. President Michel Aoun also gave a speech to the crowds at the Defense Ministry, in which he lamented the death of the soldiers. “The feelings of pain and sadness are mixed with pride and honor, and our martyrs in their lives have been a source of pride and honor for their families,” Aoun said. Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri arrived at the state funeral at around 10 a.m. Also in attendance were the families of the soldiers, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon force commander Maj. Gen. Michael Beary, Internal Security Forces Director-General Maj. Gen. Imad Othman and Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf. Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk was not seen at the event. Coffins carrying the remains of the abducted soldiers slain by Daesh (ISIS) were transported from the Army Hospital in Badaro to the Defense Ministry. “Today our martyrs will be honored and we will all be given … heroes of Lebanon, but our souls will not rest until the truth is revealed and justice is achieved,” Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil tweeted earlier. “On the day of the martyrs’ farewell, we hope that their blood will yield national immunity and that the political decision will rise to the level of sacrifice,” Minister of State for Administrative Development Inaya Ezzeddine said on his official Twitter account. The bodies of 10 servicemen who were killed in the aftermath of the Arsal clashes were retrieved last month. Eight of the soldiers were held hostage by Daesh and later killed by the group. A ninth soldier was executed in a separate incident, and a tenth soldier was killed by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – formerly known as the Nusra Front – when they attacked an Army patrol in the outskirts of Arsal between 2014 and 2017. The 10 soldiers honored Friday were identified as Ibrahim Mgheit, Ali Masri, Mustafa Wehbe, Seif Ziblen, Mohammad Youssef, Khaled Hasan, Hussein Ammar, Ali Hajj Hasan, Abbas Medlej and Yehya Ali Khoder. Friday was declared a national day of mourning with government departments, banks, schools and businesses closing as a sign of respect. Embassies and foreign officials also gave statements mourning the loss of the servicemen and offering their support for Lebanon. “Italians are close to the Lebanese people in this day of mourning. Long live #Lebanon, long live the #LAF,” the Italian Embassy said on Twitter. “The U.S. Embassy Beirut extends its deepest condolences to the people of Lebanon, particularly the families of the fallen [Lebanese Army] soldiers, kidnapped by [Daesh], in August 2014,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. “We also offer our sincere condolences for the soldiers who were killed in the line of duty during the ‘Fajr al-Jouroud’ operation.” The British Embassy in Lebanon marked the state funeral for the 10 servicemen Friday by lowering their flags to half-mast. British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter said that “our thoughts will be with those who have lost loved ones as the country observes a day of national mourning.” “Our prayers are with the families, the Army & the whole country today. They paid the highest price for our freedom. We will remember them,” British diplomat Tom Hartley said via Twitter Friday.