The bodies of 20 Malaysian passengers of the ill-fated flight MH17 arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Friday as Malaysia held a national day of mourning.

A receiving ceremony awaited the chartered Boeing 747 as it landed at the Kuala Lumpur airport at about 10 a.m. on Friday.

Pall bearers met the airplane and carried the caskets out as soldiers of the Malaysian Army stood in vigil, CNN reports. The caskets were brought in a fleet of white hearses.

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Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17 over Ukraine's airspace likely with a radar guided SA-11 missile, the New York Times reports. All 298 people on board, 283 passengers and 15 crew members, were killed.

Flags were flown at half-mast and Malaysia held a nationwide two-minute moment of silence.

Since flight MH17 originated in Amsterdam, the Dutch government has taken charge of the investigation. NBC News reports that the Dutch suspended their investigation earlier this month due to rising tensions in the area.

Of the 283 MH17 passengers, 43 were Malaysian. Due to the extent of the damage done to the plane, victims have been difficult to identify and investigators have had to rely on DNA evidence, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Family members awaited the repatriation flight, including family member Azfar Aza, who said the return of the bodies will help them to move on.

"Having their bodies helps us somewhat. It's a start," he said.

For the family members that are still awaiting for their relatives' bodies to be identified, the receiving ceremony is bleak, Jijar Singh Sandhu said. His son was a flight attendant on the flight.

"We cannot have closure without the body, without a proper funeral. Right now we can only pray," he said.

The receiving ceremony was attended by the Malaysian King Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, along with political leaders, cabinet ministers, and diplomats. The ceremony was also televised live.

TagsMalaysia Airlines, MH17, Ukraine, Rebels