The infiltrators have been cleared from Mount Al-Dowd and all other important mountain areas, said Prince Khaled Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs, during his visit to the troops down the Saudi-Yemeni broder Saturday. Prince Khaled was speaking shortly after he observed, from the top of Mount Al-Akhdhar on the border, land and air strikes by the armed forces on the positions of the infiltrators. Prince Khaled's inspection tour also coincided with Apache gunship airstrikes against specific targets in the area surrounding Mount Al-Rumaih, where the rest of the infiltrators are holed up. He said the security forces were currently interrogating 145 Ethiopian and Somali prisoners of war, who tried to enter Saudi territory. The questioning was to determine whether those captured have any links to the infiltrators. “The military operations against the aggressors are continuing in Al-Khubah and Al-Ghawiyah regions and the border villages,” he said. Prince Khaled addressed soldiers at the border, welcoming their fighting spirit. “For 40 years I have discerned the high morale of our brave heroes who are fighting to protect their land.” He stressed that the directive of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz was clear. This was “to prevent encroachment on even an inch of our lands”. “The armed forces have achieved big victories on the ground and the evacuees in the tent camps are safe. Their evacuation from their villages was to protect them from the aggressors.” He pointed out that the Second Deputy Premier had issued directives to secure suitable housing for the displaced families and to boost their morale. He said he valued the contribution of the media in reporting on the conflict. “This confirms the strength of our media and their keenness to seek accuracy in conveying information from their sources.” He said the military command has been determined to provide ways for journalists to move around and report on events, without endangering their lives. He reassured citizens that all military plans were on schedule to rid this country permanently of the infiltrators and to protect all citizens from being harmed.
