20 countries prepare for military maneuver in Saudi Arabia
Xinhua, February 15, 2016 Adjust font size:
Military forces from 20 countries will arrive in the next few hours in Saudi Arabia for a military maneuver, reported Saudi Press Agency Sunday.
The news agency described the maneuver, dubbed "Thunder of North," as the region's most important military exercise involving ground, air and naval forces.
It is also the largest in terms of numbers of participating nations and the amount of weaponry ever used in the Arabian Gulf.
The maneuver intends to highlight that Riyadh and its allies are united against regional challenges.
In addition to the six Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Qatar, other participating countries include Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal and Tunisia.
The maneuver comes as Saudi considers participating in land operations in cooperation with its international allies to fight the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria.
The maneuvers will take place in the Military City of King Khalid in Hafr Al-Batin, north of Riyadh. Endit