Defensive weapons depleting, Saudi crown prince in bunker

The security of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman has been intensified amid the continuous missile and drone attacks of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen. Considering the situation, he is being shifted to various royal palaces equipped with bunker facilities under tight security cordon. The US media The Wall Street Journal has informed this information.

According to the report, the security situation of Saudi Arabia became more concerning after the terrible attack on King Khalid International Airport of the capital Riyadh on last Saturday. It has been mentioned in the report that at least 13 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the attack. The crown prince has not been seen in public since participating in a national blood donation programme last Tuesday. The officials in charge of his security are keeping him out of public view under the supervision of a specially trained security team.

A spokesman of the Houthi rebels has claimed responsibility for the attack on Riyadh Airport and threatened further attacks on the airports of Saudi Arabia. It has been said in the report that the airport has been attacked four times in the past five days. As the airport remains closed after the attacks, according to the information of aviation research institution Cirium, about 60 percent of the scheduled flights are having to be cancelled.

On the other hand, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has warned of a tough response in reply to the Houthi attacks. However, the officials have expressed concern that the stock of missiles of the country’s air defence system is decreasing while trying to stop the continuous attacks. To tackle the situation, Riyadh sought military assistance from France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Egypt last month.

To reduce the tension, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran spoke over the telephone on last Sunday night. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, emphasising political dialogue, has assured cooperation in the discussions between Riyadh and the Houthis.

It is to be noted that the conflict of the country with the Houthis intensified after Saudi Arabia intervened in the civil war of Yemen in 2015. It has been mentioned in the report that the ceasefire that took place in 2022 has broken down amid subsequent regional tensions.