trapped some areas close to the border and Saudi forces have to be on their guard, said Prince Khaled Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs. He made the remarks Tuesday after a tour of the Wadi Al-Khashal and parts of the Al-Jabri area. He said that all the infiltrators had been removed but that they had left behind “booby-traps”, so “we have to be careful.” He said operations at Addukhan, Arrumaih, Addood and Al-Jabri areas resulted in four martyrs in 24 hours. At a press conference held in Al-Khubah, Prince Khaled said infiltrators in the Al-Jabri area have been removed and that the armed forces were still removing more from other sites along the frontlines. He said that the infiltrators had failed to take advantage of a window period offered by the Saudi armed forces, which would have allowed them to surrender and save their lives. “We unfortunately had to deal with them. It was in our national interest and the sovereignty of Saudi territory, to destroy and kill all of them. It is sad, but they didn't respond and we were committed to remove them from Saudi territory at any cost,” he said. “Our armed forces will not be lenient in hitting and crushing infiltrators. Any infiltrator fighter will be shot dead,” he said. However, he said not all people who crossed the border are killers. Smugglers are dealt with by the Ministry of Interior's Border Guards. Prince Khaled said continued military support for the Jizan region was “natural”, given the fact that the border with Yemen is 480-km long. He said the border “must be sealed.” He said there were 84 martyrs and 21 missing, from a total of 26, after five bodies of missing men were found. There were 530 injured, of whom 90 percent were slightly injured. Most of them have been discharged from hospital, he added. The previously announced statistics were: 74 dead, 26 missing, and 470 injured. Prince Khaled said the leadership was concerned about the displaced and had these people in their “eyes and heart.” He said his recent visit to Yemen was within the parameters of the two countries' brotherly relations.
