OIC and Bahrain Support Saudi Arabias Military Action to Defend its Borders
JEDDAH/ Manama Saudi Arabia is within its rights to defend its soil from any attack by armed intruders, according to the Jeddah-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which has supported the kingdoms military action against Yemeni rebels who crossed into the Saudi territory and killed a number of its nationals.
In a related development, Bahrain also pledged unflinching solidarity with Saudi Arabia in defending its territories and protecting its borders from Huthi rebels in northern Yemen and attempts of infiltration into its territories.
OIC spokesman ambassador Atta Mannan Bakheet said the kingdom’s military action was within international law. He said the 57-member OIC is opposed to the violation of the sovereignty of any country. He stressed that the OIC supports all the kingdom’s efforts to maintain the country’s stability and security, and the safety of its people.
Bakheet said the encroachment on the kingdom’s territory is a danger to the security of all other OIC member states, and added that the kingdom had a right to defend its sovereignty.
He said he was confident that the Saudi army would be able to handle the situation. Jordan, Bahrain, and the UAE joined others in condemning the infiltration into Saudi territory by rebels from Yemen.
The government said on Friday it carried out air strikes against ‘infiltrators’ from Yemen that were limited to areas inside Saudi territory, and vowed to press on with the military action against the gunmen in the Mount Dokhan region and other areas within Saudi territory until the border with its restive neighbour was secure.
The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), said that the offensive was prompted by ‘infiltrators’ from Yemen who attacked a Saudi border post on Tuesday, killing one guard and injuring 11 others in the Jabal Al Dokhan area. It added that the infiltrators set alight six vehicles of the Border Guard in their attempt to pass through border villages.
“We will not allow any incursion on our internationally-recognised border line with Yemen,” said Prince Muhammad Bin Nasser, Governor of Jizan, said during his inspection tour of villages in Al Khoba.
He said that the leadership has been firm on its stance on the sovereignty of the country, ordering “calculated, strict, and quick action” against the infiltrators without jeopardising the lives of citizens and expatriates.
He said that more shelter camps will be set up and a number of schools and wedding halls will be turned into shelters for evacuated people from troubled border areas. In the governorate of Al Harth schools were closed on Wednesday following the previous day’s attacks in the region. Al Harth Governor Muhammad Al Shamrani said on Thursday that the closure was a ‘temporary measure’ taken after meetings with local heads and tribal shaikhs. The meetings also resulted in the evacuation of 1,500 people from six villages in the Al Ghaliyah area. “Everyone is working closely with each other and the Governor of Jizan Prince Muhammad is being kept fully abreast of the situation,” Al Shamrani told daily Al Watan.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa affirmed in a statement on Friday that Bahrain’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia emanated from the string brotherly ties, kinship and common history and fate.
Meantime, the minister slammed the recent blatant aggressions against Saudi territories and citizens, considering any harm targeting Saudi Arabia as targeting Bahrain as well and describing the measures taken by the kingdom as legitimate defence of its lands, sovereignty, stability, prosperity and people’s safety.