Air force pilot laid to rest

AMMAN — Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) pilot Lt. Hazem Al Matar was laid to rest on Friday at his hometown of Mshaqer in a military funeral. 

Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Minister of Interior Hussein Majali on Friday participated in the funeral, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Majali conveyed the King’s deepest condolences to the pilot’s family.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and several other senior army officers were also present at the funeral.

Wrapped in the Jordanian flag, the late Matar was laid to rest at the Islamic cemetery in Madaba, some 30km southwest of Amman. 

Matar’s father said his son has joined the martyrs who have died in the service of their nation, adding that Jordan has been offering martyr after martyr since the Great Arab Revolt in 1916, Petra reported.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein deputised Maj. Gen. Mohammad Zu’bi, deputy director of the Public Security Department, on Saturday to convey his condolences to Al Matar/Al Ajarmeh family.

The lieutenant was killed on Thursday when his F-5 fighter jet crashed during a training mission.

The military said the incident took place at around 8am while a number of RJAF aircraft were on a training mission. 

Over the past few years, several air force pilots have lost their lives in similar accidents, mostly during routine flights or training, including a lieutenant colonel and his trainee in May last year.