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Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held separate telephone conversations with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and his counterparts from Canada, Germany and Spain to discuss defence cooperation, regional developments and the Houthi attacks against the Kingdom.
In a series of posts on X on Friday, Saudi's Defence Minister Khalid shared details of his conversations, highlighting bilateral defence ties, regional security and coordination to promote stability. https://x.com/kbsalsaud/status/2115975909966582212 "In a call with @SecGenNATO, we reviewed aspects of defence cooperation and discussed our joint coordination regarding regional developments in a manner that promotes regional and international security and stability. We also explored several other topics of mutual interest," he said. In a separate call with Canada's Minister of National Defence David McGuinty, Prince Khalid extended condolences over the deaths of Canadian military personnel in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta and wished those injured a speedy recovery. https://x.com/kbsalsaud/status/2115976704669745316 "In a call with Canadas Minister of National Defence, David McGuinty, I extended my condolences on the loss of military service members in the fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, and wished those injured a speedy recovery. "We also reviewed prospects for Saudi-Canadian defence cooperation, discussed regional developments and ways to promote security and stability, and condemned the Houthi terrorist attacks against the Kingdom," he said. During his conversation with Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, the Saudi Defence Minister discussed bilateral defence relations and coordination on regional developments. "In a call with Germanys Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, we reviewed aspects of our bilateral defence relations and discussed coordinating efforts on regional developments to achieve security and stability. We also condemned the Houthi terrorist attacks against the Kingdom," Prince Khalid said. https://x.com/kbsalsaud/status/2115977560391602503 He also held a conversation with Spain's Minister of Defence Margarita Robles, discussing bilateral defence cooperation and regional developments following the Houthi attacks. "In a call with Spains Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, we reviewed our defence cooperation and ways to strengthen Saudi-Spanish relations. We explored regional developments after the Houthi terrorist attacks on the Kingdom and efforts to promote security and stability," he said. https://x.com/kbsalsaud/status/2115978783299711465 The discussions come amid heightened tensions involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group, which has claimed responsibility for six military operations targeting Saudi facilities and infrastructure. In a statement posted on X on October 29, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the group's forces carried out six operations targeting the Ras Tanura refinery, the Aramco facility in Buqayq, King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, the Rabigh oil refinery and Saudi military mobilisation headquarters in the Najran region. Saree claimed that the operations were conducted in response to what the group called Saudi aggression against Yemen and recent attacks that allegedly killed and injured dozens, most of them women and children. He further threatened continued military operations inside Saudi territory, saying the group would continue targeting Saudi military deployments until what it called the aggression and blockade against Yemen came to an end. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Yemen's armed forces had called for an urgent investigation into reports of Houthi forces firing shells suspected of containing toxic substances in Taiz, allegedly leaving civilians and popular resistance fighters suffering from suffocation and fainting. In a statement posted on X by the Yemeni armed forces' spokesperson, the military said it was treating the reports "with the utmost seriousness" and called for "an urgent investigation to determine the nature of the materials used, document their effects, and reveal their sources and the parties involved in supplying them." The statement also accused Houthi forces of continuing attacks against Taiz, including sniping, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and obstructing access to water, food and medicine. The Yemeni armed forces urged the United Nations and relevant international organisations to support an urgent investigation, alleging that repeated incidents "amount to war crimes". They also called for roads to be opened to allow humanitarian supplies to reach the affected population. (ANI)
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