President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Tuesday, declared that Victory Day served to renew the love felt by Maldivians toward their nation.
He expressed the sentiment in a message published in the 28th edition of "Addana", a magazine published annually by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) on November 3, to commemorate the national holiday.
Maldives marks Victory Day every November 3, to commemorate the state's defeat of Abdulla Luthfee and Sagar Ahmed Nasir's attempt in 1988 to overthrow the government by taking over the National Security Service (NSS) with the help of armed militants from Sri Lanka's People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The attack resulted in the death of 19 Maldivians inlcluding 11 civilians and eight military personnel.
President Solih described the attempted coup d'état as one of the most brutal and deadly assaults on Maldives' independence.
Acknowledging the heroism and bravery demonstrated by the individuals that died on November 3, 1988, he expressed the necessity of learning lessons and drawing inspiration from history amid Victory Day celebrations.
Furthermore, the president stated that the Maldivian armed forces continued to display the same bravery and patriotism, noting that Maldivian citizens would always remain grateful for the security service's valour on November 3.
President Solih also asserted that the unity and compassion shown by the Maldivian population in 1988 remain intact till date.
Concluding his message, the president thanked all those involved in countering the 1988 coup d'état, particularly expressing appreciation to India for swiftly extending military assistance upon receiving a request by the Maldivian government.
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