New Saudi security force to fight drug and weapons smuggling across mountainous southern border

NAJRAN: Saudi Arabia has deployed a newly created force to combat weapons and drug smuggling by infiltrators across the Kingdom’s mountainous southern border. 

The Al-Afwaj Regiment, a new unit under the Ministry of Interior, will act as the primary support force for the Saudi Border Patrol in the regions of Najran, Jazan and Asir, across the border with Yemen.

The regiment was created under the orders of the Minister of Interior, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, and is specifically trained in carrying out security tasks in mountainous areas that include deep valleys and extremely rough terrain.

General Fahad Saeed Al-Qahtani, Under Minister in-charge of the Al Afwaj Force, told Arab News that the regiment is ready and capable of handling any situation they encounter.

“We are prepared to deal with all eventualities with high levels of professionalism,” Al-Qahtani said after reviewing the readiness of the regiment.

"The regiment will combat drug and weapons smugglers and will stop infiltrators from coming into Saudi Arabia," he said.

“We did not begin (our patrols) until all security personnel and officers were trained and fully qualified in patrolling the mountain areas with difficult terrain, which requires that they be skilled in the use of nature and the landscape and also be skilled in the process of surveying and monitoring and tracking violators in order that mountain gaps, valleys, the brush and grasslands not be utilized by them,” he said.