Date: Sun, 22 May 2016 10:39:45 +0200
21 May 1984: The 1st operation by Eritrean commandos in Sembel airport.
It was 21st of May 1984, exactly 32 years ago this very hour, 14 Eritrean commando fighters left their base in Ala with an important mission. The mission was to destroy the Ethiopian Derg’s Russian MIG fighters, gun-ship helicopters and Russian Antonov-12 military aircrafts that were located at Sembel airport.
That day, Eritrean commandos sneaked into the highly guarded Air force base of the Derg’s regime in Sembel, Asmara and turned 33 enemy military aircrafts including 16 MIG fighter jets into smithereens. The whole job was done at a lightening speed and took only 18 minutes before the commandos head back to their meeting points. While all reported back to base, only one got martyred. His name was Mebrahtu (AKA ‘Embaye‘).
It was remembered that the humiliated Derg officers that day acted in a cowardly fascistic fashion as usual. They were dragging martyr Mebrahtu’s body in order to impress the fuming Mengistu Hailemariam, who was visiting the destroyed airbase. They then tied Martyr Mebrahtu’s body onto their military truck and brutally began playing with his dead body. But furious Mengistu can’t help but scolded his coward armies and ordered them to stop their idiocy at once. He, instead, ordered them to bury him properly, saying that “he has martyred for the principle he believed.” (‘በስነርዓት ቅበሩት፡ እሱ ለዓላማው ነው የወደቀው’).
Thirty years ago, right at this hour, he was marching to get into position with his compatriots in order to accomplish the mission. They did so and he’ll be martyred in the next hour. Eritrea will never forget him and all our martyrs!
