Memorial held for parachutists who died after Heyrdich assassination operation

A memorial ceremony was held on Sunday in honour of the Czechoslovak parachutists who lost their lives after taking part in an operation to assassinate the Nazi governor of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich. Sergeants Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik and other members of their group were hiding in the crypt of Prague's Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius when they were surrounded by German troops on June 18, 1942. They fought until dawn, but the situation was hopeless and they chose to take their own lives rather than surrender.

Sunday's memorial was attended by World War II resistance fighters and several politicians, including the prime minister, Jiri Paroubek.