Saudi Arabia rejects reports of arrival of foreign troops at air base

By Ibrahim Khazin

ISTANBUL (AA) - The spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, Turki Al-Malki, on Friday denied the reports of foreign forces arriving at a military base in the country.

According to Saudi channels Al Arabiya and the Saudi newspaper Al Riyadh, Al-Malki said, "The rumors about the arrival of foreign forces at King Fahd Air Base in Taif are baseless," without providing further details.

The reports coincided with a joint statement from 10 countries, issued by the White House, in response to Houthi attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea.

White House statement included the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain, and Australia as well as the US and the UK.

Besides, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement regarding the US and UK attacks in Yemen, emphasized “the importance of maintaining the security and stability in the Red Sea region” and called for restraint and avoiding escalation.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala