Tributes after loss of life of SAS soldier who stormed Iranian embassy to finish siege
Mel Parry was a part of the SAS crew which ended the 1980 siege after six armed males took 26 individuals hostage inside the constructing.
The hostage takers had been Iranian-Arabs campaigning for the sovereignty of Khuzestan, a province within the south west of the nation.
They demanded the discharge of prisoners held in Iran, in addition to their very own protected passage out of the UK.
In one of many elite unit’s most well-known operations, the SAS troopers stormed the embassy in 17 minutes on day six of the siege.
They rescued all however one of many hostages, killing 5 of the six hostage takers within the course of.
Mr Parry’s former SAS colleague Bob Shepherd paid tribute to him in his weblog.
“It’s with the greatest of sadness that I write this blog post about arguably one of the finest men to have served in 22 SAS Regiment in my time,” he wrote.
“I write this as he died from a very long illness today in Hereford. My heart goes out to Mel’s family and close friends.
Another former SAS soldier, Chris Ryan, paid tribute to Mr Parry on Twitter.
“Mal, you were a gentleman and an incredible soldier,” he tweeted.
“We first met when I joined B Squadron in the early 80s and you were the guiding light of the CT [Counter-Terrorism] world that we recognise today.
“God Speed and don’t spare the HE [High-Explosive].”
An Army spokesperson mentioned: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Mel Parry who had a long and distinguished career.
“We are thankful for his service, dedication, excellence and enduring legacy.
“Our thoughts are with his friends and family.”