I will not cry for dad's death, says UAE martyr's daughter...

The father of little Wadeema Al Amiri sacrificed his life for the UAE and fell as a martyr in Yemen. But the nine-year-old girl from the Eastern oasis town of Al Ain says she understands this and will not cry because she knows her father is now in paradise.

Speaking to the Dubai-based 'Al Bayan' Arabic language daily, she said she wished to have joined the UAE leaders and people in receiving troops returning from Yemen on Saturday after spending months fighting within the coalition to restore legitimacy.

“If my father is still alive, I will go and receive him with flowers and will draw many painting showing how much I love and miss him.

"I know he has fallen as a martyr and is now in paradise.

"I will not cry for his death.

"On the contrary, I am happy because I know that martyrs are close to God,” she said.

Wadeema, daughter of martyr Hamoud Saleh Amiri, added:”I am not a little child. I am a big child and understand that the UAE is helping Yemen to kill the enemy.”

She said she was happy to see the returning troops getting a hero’s welcome by the nation’s people and leaders, on top of whom were “my fathers”, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

“I’m quite sure that those returning soldiers have achieved an historic victory in Yemen. I feel proud of what they have done and of what my father has done.”