India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, laid on Saturday a wreath at Port Tewfik Memorial and ‘Aden Memorial’ at ‘Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery’, commemorating the death of Indian soldiers, who lost their life during the World War I incidents.
Port Tewfik Memorial commemorates 3,799 Indian soldiers, who served and died with the Indian Army in the First World War in Egypt and Palestine, while the Aden Memorial commemorates 580 Indian soldiers who died in the defence of Aden during the World War I.
During the conflict, the Indian Army protected Egypt and Suez Canal, fought in Palestine and played an important role in the victory at the Battle of Haifa. It is estimated that by 1918, a total of 700,000 Indian soldiers had fought in the Middle East and East Africa. The total war casualties of Indian forces in the Middle East are estimated at 10,936. Of these, 5,164 soldiers have been commemorated in 15 major cemeteries across Egypt and the biggest one is at Heliopolis Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery.
During the visit, the minister also wrote in the Visitors’ Book at Heliopolis War Memorial that ‘Indians have sacrificed across the world for the cause of humanity and their example continues to inspire our endeavours today.’
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