Mat Aznan Awang

Corporal Mat Aznan Awang (1960 – 4 October 1993) was a Malaysian Army soldier who served in the Malaysian Battilion (MALBATT) of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II). Mat Aznan was posthumously awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 1993. He was a Royal Malay Regiment soldier and hailed from Kampung Parit Panjang, Baling, Kedah.

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Awang is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Mat Aznan.
Mat Aznan Awang
Born1960
Baling, Kedah, Malaysia
Died4 October 1993
Mogadishu, Somalia
AllegianceMalaysia
Service/branch
Years of service1980–1993
Rank
Corporal (posthumous)
Unit
19th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment
Commands held
Battles/warsCommunist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–89)
Battle of Mogadishu (1993)
AwardsSeri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP)

Battle of Mogadishu

On October 4, 1993, Mat Aznan was involved in the rescue mission of seventy US Rangers and five members of the US Air Force who were surrounded in the Bakaara Market area of Mogadishu, Somalia.

During the rescue operation, Mat Aznan acted as a driver of a Condor Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).

While in transit, the rescue convoy was ambushed and the armored car driven by him was shot at by anti-tank weapons from the front. This penetrated the bullet-proof window, killing him and wounding nine others.

In this incident, four Condor APC vehicles were destroyed. However, the rescue efforts of US military personnel was successfully executed by MALBATT.

Legacy

Mat Aznan Awang was awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) from the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Almarhum Tuanku Jaafar of Negeri Sembilan on 4 June 1994.[1] He was posthumously promoted to Corporal by the Malaysian Army.

One of Mat Aznan's daughters continues the legacy by serving in the same battalion.[2]

References
  1. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1994" (PDF) (in Malay).
  2. Hamid, Suzalina; Kamaruddin, Safuri (10 May 2015). "Black Hawk Down: Anak perempuan sambung perjuangan Koperal Mat Aznan" [Black Hawk Down: Daughter continues the fight for Corporal Mat Aznan] (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 2 August 2020.


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