(VOVworld) – Malaysia observed Friday as a national day of mourning for the Malaysian victims on board Flight MH17, which was shot down in eastern Ukraine last month.

Malaysian Army soldiers carry a coffin containing one of the bodies of the downed Flight 17 to a hearse upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia

300 military personnel from 12 Malaysian infantry brigades were on duty when a special Malaysian Airlines aircraft flight carrying the bodies of 11 passengers and 9 crew members arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The identities of the 20 victims had been announced earlier. The Malaysian government attendees to observe a minute of silence for the victims as their bodies arrived in their homeland.

August 22, 2014, was Malaysia’s first national day of mourning for deceased citizens. The practice used to be reserved for deceased Kings and government leaders. The last previous national day of mourning was observed in 2001 following the death of Malaysia’s 11^th king Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.