20 countries to fire up ‘North Thunder’

JEDDAH: Armed forces from Arab, Islamic and friendly countries started arriving in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for “North Thunder,” a military exercise to be held and commanded by the Kingdom
The maneuver will be held at the King Khaled Military City (KKMC) in Hafr Al-Batin with participation of 20 countries and the GCC-formed Peninsula Shield forces as well.
The participating countries are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Senegal, Sudan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Egypt, Mauritania, and Mauritius.
North Thunder is the biggest military exercise of its kind in terms of the number of participating countries and military equipment, including fighter jets of different models, reflecting the quantitative and qualitative weapons the forces have.
The exercise will also witness participation of a wide range of artillery, tanks, infantry, air defense systems, and naval forces in a simulation to reflect the highest level of preparedness of the 20 participating countries.
North Thunder sends a clear message that the Kingdom, its sister, brotherly and friendly countries joining the maneuver are standing together in the face of all challenges to preserve peace and stability in the region and the world at large.
Meanwhile, analysts said the exercise stresses that the leaderships of the participating countries fully agree with the Kingdom’s vision on the importance of the protection of peace and realization of stability in the region.
Saudi Arabia is currently leading a military campaign against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. In December, it also announced formation of a 35-member alliance against terrorism.