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Merdeka is here once again, and as we celebrate the 61st year of our country’s independence, let’s also remember the hard work our military does to protect our country.

Although we definitely do not take the efforts of our armed forces for granted, some of their achievements often go unnoticed, and this incredible mission, in particular, is one thing every Malaysian should know about!

Ever heard of the famous 2001 Hollywood blockbuster, ‘Black Hawk Down‘? Well, the Malaysian military actually played a pretty significant role in the real story that inspired this movie!

In case you haven’t seen the movie or need a refresher, ‘Black Hawk Down’ chronicles the events of a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia by the United States Military on 3rd October 1993 during the ongoing Somalian Civil War. The aim of the raid was to kidnap Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, and the fight that took place after it was known as the Battle of Mogadishu (3rd – 4th October).

However, things went wrong when Somali militants shot down two of the U.S. Military’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, leaving 70 rangers from the army stranded on the ground. What was meant to be a quick kidnap operation quickly turned into a rescue mission.

Here’s how the Malaysian army played a role in the rescue mission that was neglected in ‘Black Hawk Down’;

1. Over 100 Malaysian soldiers were sent to Somalia by the UN

During the Battle of Mogadishu, the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) sent out over 100 soldiers from the 19th battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment of the Malaysian Army. They were part of the UN’s peacekeeping troops who helped with the rescue.

According to Astro Awani, the battalion’s deputy commander, Major General (R) Datuk Md Rozi Baharom co-led his troop to Mogadishu to help the U.S. Military with the mission to extract warlord Farrah Aidid.

2. Malaysian soldiers were part of a huge relief convoy

After the first black hawk helicopter was shot down, a relief convoy was sent to the crash site, accompanied by Pakistani and Malaysian UN forces.

“Nothing else crossed my mind at that time. Everything, I just left to fate. This mission wasn’t just hard, but extremely dangerous. When we received our orders that evening, you could hear bombs going off non-stop,” Sargeant Tukirin Bukari told Berita Harian, recalling his time in Somalia.

“But, we continued the journey to our assigned location and followed our orders.”

The convoy consisted of more than 100 U.N vehicles, creating a two-mile-long column supported by Black Hawk and Cobra assault helicopters as they fought their way into Bakaara Market, Mogadishu to save the 70 trapped rangers.

3. One Malaysian soldier tragically died during the mission

As the convoy was making their way into the city, the U.S. Army along with other soldiers continued defending the stranded crew of the first shot-down helicopter and their rescuers. They were faced with intense assault from Somali militants, leaving a number of casualties.

24-year-old Corporal Mat Aznan Awang was the only Malaysian who perished in the early hours of 4th October. He was reportedly driving a Malaysian Condor armoured personnel carrier when he was suddenly hit by a Rocket-propelled Grenade (RPG). Mat Aznan was the only Malaysian killed in this mission. Meanwhile, 7 other Malaysians were left wounded.

Corporal Mat Aznan was posthumously awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa medal for his valiant efforts.

4. The U.S. soldiers were successfully rescued

Once they reached Bakaara Market, Sargeant Tukirin Bukari shared with Berita Harian that his fellow soldiers were devastated when they received news of Corporal Mat Aznan’s death that midnight (4th October). However, they still had to carry on with their mission as they were planning an assault on the Somali militants in efforts to get the American rangers out safely.

“We began our assault and just kept shooting at the enemy. The shootout went on for a while, but we managed to take down the militants that were hiding in a nearby building.”

“When we finally found the American soldiers, many of them had serious injuries. Some of them had even lost their legs, while others were bleeding profusely. We quickly brought the injured American and Malaysian soldiers into our vehicle, while the other uninjured soldiers ran behind us to get out of the war zone.”

Thankfully, their efforts were successful and they managed to get out of Mogadishu at 6am that day.

So, there you have it! To think this is just one out of hundreds of missions our soldiers had to face. We commend everyone who was involved in this dangerous rescue effort, and our thoughts go out to the family of those who perished on that fateful mission.

This Merdeka, let’s recognise our local heroes for not only protecting their fellow Malaysians, but for going above and beyond to help others in need.

Also read: Meet Toh, The First Chinese Army Commander to Hold a Top 14 Post in M’sian Army