Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed 3 cruise missiles launched by the Houthi militias towards Riyadh, and two drones in the Makkah and Southern regions, yesterday (Wednesday).
The Yemeni government forces expanded their military operations against the Houthi group as part of Operation “Yemen Dawn” on the Ma’rib, Al-Jawf, Taiz, Lahj, Al-Dhalea and Hajjah fronts.
The Yemeni army announced the implementation of 874 attacks within 24 hours, which it said resulted in the killing and wounding of about 190 Houthis and the destruction or damage of 130 combat vehicles and means. In western Lahj, the Giants and Homeland Shield forces confronted Houthi attacks, amid the displacement of families from the seam areas towards Aden and safer areas.
Government forces thwarted an attempt to detonate two explosive devices camouflaged as sandstones, planted on both sides of the international road linking Ma'rib and the Al-Abr region, leading to the border crossing with Saudi Arabia.
Military sources said that engineering teams dismantled the two devices between the Al-Ruwaik and Al-Dhuwaibi areas, and secured the road without causing casualties.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, Saudi Minister of the Interior, confirmed that the Houthi militia’s targeting of civilian and economic objects in the Kingdom, and its attacks on the Two Holy Mosques, are acts that cannot be justified under any pretext or form, due to the threat they pose to the lives of civilians, and the impact they have on the security and stability of Yemen and the region.
This came during his speech at the forty-third meeting of the interior ministers of the Gulf states, in Manama, on Wednesday, where they discussed issues aimed at strengthening the process of joint security cooperation, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud welcomed them to Saudi Arabia, which is hosting their next meeting.
The Saudi Minister of Interior touched on the exceptional circumstances and the extremely sensitive regional and international changes, and the challenges they pose that require moving from the stage of responding to security events to anticipating them and preparing in advance to confront them, through comprehensive executive plans, and intensifying efforts to coordinate and strengthen joint action in confronting regional and international challenges.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud stressed that the security of the GCC countries is an indivisible whole, and any threat to any of them represents a direct threat to the entire Gulf system, pointing out that the meeting and the decisions it issues embody sincere determination, sincere work, and unity of speech, in a way that achieves the aspirations of the leaders of the GCC countries to protect homelands and societies and enhance their security and stability.
On the other hand, the Bahraini King, King Hamad bin Isa, received the interior ministers at Sakhir Palace, and reviewed with them the process of joint Gulf security cooperation and the efforts made to enhance coordination and integration among the GCC countries in the security fields.
In turn, Prince Salman bin Hamad, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, during his reception of the ministers, at Al-Zaher Palace, praised their efforts and the results achieved that contribute to enhancing the security and stability of the GCC states.
For his part, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, stressed during his speech at the meeting that security integration between member states constitutes one of the basic pillars of the Gulf security and stability system.
Al-Budaiwi added that the joint security cooperation and coordination achieved reflects the strength of Gulf ties and the unity of position and destiny, and embodies the ability of the GCC countries to work with an integrated security system to protect their gains, preserve their sovereignty, and maintain the security of their people.
The Secretary-General explained that the rapid security changes and developments witnessed in the region highlighted the importance of Gulf security integration, and strengthened the readiness of the security services in the GCC countries and their ability to deal efficiently and competently with various developments.
Al-Budaiwi stressed that continuous coordination, unification of efforts, and exchange of experiences between the Ministries of Interior contributed to consolidating the foundations of a joint Gulf security system, which has become a distinguished model for collective work in confronting challenges and protecting security and stability.
The Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and their targeting of holy places, considering that these actions represent a blatant violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and an unacceptable attack on the security and sovereignty of the Kingdom.
The Secretary-General pointed out that, thanks to the guidance of the leaders and the efforts of the Ministers of the Interior, the Gulf security cooperation process has achieved many qualitative achievements that have strengthened the paths of joint security action and established the position of the GCC countries as a regional and global model in security cooperation and integration.
He stressed that these achievements carry a clear message to the entire world that the security of the Gulf is one, and its fate is shared, and that the unity of the Gulf ranks and the integration of its security services represent a basic guarantee for protecting the security of its countries and the stability of its peoples.
