The remains of Chinese United Nations peacekeeping soldier Shen Liangliang, who was one of the casualties in a terrorist attack in Mali last month, arrived in Beijing on Thursday, the state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported.

A Chinese air force plane carrying the body of Shen touched down at the Longjia Airport in Changchun City, Jilian Province. Shen served his tour of duty in the army for 11 years in the same city.

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China's Central Military Commission (CMC) sent an air force plane to Bamako, the capital of Mali, to bring home the body of the fallen soldier.

Shen, 29, a sergeant first class in the Army, was among the peacekeepers who were killed on May 31 in the town of Gao in Mali when a bomb was detonated at a United Nations headquarters.

11th Chinese soldier

Five Chinese peacekeeping soldiers were also injured in the blast and are currently being treated in a military hospital.

Shen is the 11th Chinese soldier killed in a UN peacekeeping mission overseas since Beijing started deploying soldiers for peacekeeping missions in the 90s.

The soldier received an honor guard in a simple ceremony at the airport.

Shen's coffin, draped in the Chinese flag, was carried out from the plane by eight honor guards while another guard held on to the deceased's portrait as he walked in front of the coffin.

As the military band played music, the honor guards placed the coffin on a platform while two soldiers placed a wreath on the coffin.

Inconsolable

Shen's parents appeared inconsolable during the entire ceremony with his mother crying loudly as she sat in a wheelchair.

Hundreds of soldiers and civilians alike honored the fallen soldier during the ceremony at the airport.

"Shen's sacrifice showed the heroic spirit and bravery of Chinese soldiers," Yi Xiaoguang, a high-ranking member of the CMC, said during the ceremony. "Peace-loving people around the world will never forget, the motherland and Chinese people will never forget, the whole army will never forget."

Shen will be buried in his hometown in central China's Henan Province on Saturday.