President Muizzu Awards Medals of Honor to Five Veterans on Victory Day

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu awarded medals of honor to five retired military personnel at a ceremony held at Gulhī Maidānu on November 3, marking this year’s Victory Day. The five individuals were among the nine personnel who had gone out on a reconnaissance patrol from the military headquarters to check on enemy activities. Previously, medals of honor had been awarded to three of the nine who were martyred in enemy attacks, and Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel, the commander of the regiment, had received the "Nishan Askari" honor from the President in 2024. Moosa Ali Jaleel has since served as Chief of Defence Force and Minister of Defence. The recipients of the medals were Sergeant First Class (Retired) Ibrahim Shareef, Staff Sergeant (Retired) Hussain Ali (Fukakafa Donthuththu), Sergeant (Retired) Hussain Manik, Corporal (Retired) Abdulla Naseem, and Lance Corporal (Retired) Abdulla Mufeed. Victory Day has been celebrated annually on November 3 since 1989, commemorating the successful thwarting of an attack on Malé in 1988 by a group of Maldivians led by mercenaries of the Lanka terrorist group known as PLOTF. Nineteen Maldivians were martyred in that attack, including eight military personnel.