Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has stated the bodyguards of Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed deserve national awards for their actions during the May 6 attack. She made the statement in an article published on the 30th edition of Addana, which is the official magazine of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
In the article, Minister Mariya said the speaker's bodyguards had shown exceptional courage and competence during the May 6 terrorist attack. She said the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on the May 6 attack has also acknowledged that the bodyguards upheld the highest standard of professionalism, despite being injured in the attack.
The inquiry committee, which was formed by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services, had summoned senior officials of MNDF and the Special Protection Group (SPG) to question them on the security proceedings on the night of the attack.
Minister Mariya said the committee members had commended Speaker Nasheed's bodyguards for their actions during the attack and stated that they deserved national-level awards. The minister also said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has made efforts in the last three years to develop the Maldives military into a professional fighting fit force.
She added that she is pleased to see the military is always the first responders during a crisis, whether it be incidents at sea or COVID-19 related operations.