BEIRUT, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon on Friday held a state funeral for its soldiers kidnapped and killed by Islamic State (IS) militants.
The funeral, held at the army headquarters at the Defense Ministry in Yarze, where President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf and other senior officials were present.
Aoun delivered a speech to mourn the death of the servicemen.
"We are gathering here today on this emotional occasion that is filled with great sacrifices 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," he said.
"I vow to you that blood of your sons will not go in vain until the goals they died for are attained and until the truth is unveiled," said Aoun in his address to the families of the killed servicemen.
The Lebanese president also bestowed the fallen servicemen posthumous medals.
Coffins carrying the remains of 10 martyred soldiers were transported from the Army Hospital in Badaro to the Defense Ministry.
The 10 servicemen were kidnapped and killed when the IS terrorist group overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014.
Friday was declared a national day of mourning with government departments, banks, schools and businesses closed as a sign of respect.
