KSA’s Largest Military Drills, What’s next?
Local Editor
In a new show of force, soldiers from 20 countries will be gathering in Saudi Arabia for massive military exercises that are to go on for 18 days, the official Saudi Press Agency [SPA] said. It comes as Riyadh has openly warned that it might send troops to Syria.
The Saudi state agency made the announcement on Sunday, adding that participating troops will begin arriving in "the next few hours."
The oil kingdom described the exercises as "the largest and most important" military drills in the region's history.
The so-called "Northern Thunder" exercise will take place in the north of the country and will include air, sea and land forces. SPA said that it will show that Riyadh and its allies "stand united in confronting all challenges and preserving peace and stability in the region."
Among the participants will be Arab and African countries. The US and other Western powers have not been invited.
Sunday's announcement comes as Saudi Arabia has deployed military jets and personnel to Turkey's Incirlik Air Base. The base is already used by the US Air Force for their planes conducting sorties in Syria.
As Riyadh claims this necessary to "intensify" its operations against "ISIS" in Syria, the move has sparked concern that the Saudis are getting ready for a full-scale ground invasion into Syria, given the fact that he terrorist groups are suffering large defeats.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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