Saudi Border Guard Killed by Cross-Border Fire From Yemen

The Defence Ministry will be seeking clarification from the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) whether Malaysian military personnel are involved in a Saudi Arabian military mission, said its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

According to official Saudi SPA news agency, troops from around 20 countries, including Pakistan, were gathering in northern Saudi Arabia for military exercises, sparking fears that these countries might also deploy ground troops in Syria.

The s “Northern Thunder” exercise will include air, sea and land forces.

Carter said last week that Saudi Arabia had committed to expand its role in the air campaign and the United Arab Emirates, another Gulf Arab country and US ally, said it would restart its participation.

He confirmed, however, that Malaysia’s would participate in an exercise dubbed “Northern Thunder” to be held in northern Saudi Arabia with 18 other Arab and Muslim countries until early March.

These countries include Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Senegal, Sudan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, Comoros, Djibouti, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Egypt, Mauritania, and Mauritius.

However, the agency called it the “most important and largest in the region’s history” in terms of the number of nations taking part and the weaponry being used.

Hishammuddin was reacting to an AFP news report that reported Malaysia as being part of the military exercise in Arab Saudi. He did not say specifically what the Saudi actions were, or where. “Besides, I will not allow it…as to what was reported today (by SPA), I have not seen the extent of involvement in the training”, he said.

A retired security officer in southern Saudi Arabia has been shot dead in an attack claimed Monday by the Islamic State group.