RIYADH: Deputy Minister of Interior Prince Ahmad has contradicted recent reports that the Kingdom has traced militants involved in the attempt to assassinate Prince Mohammed bin Naif to Pakistan.
“No detention or repatriation of any Saudi suspect from Pakistan in connection with the murderous attacks on Prince Mohammed bin Naif, assistant minister of interior for security affairs, has been made so far,” said Prince Ahmad on Saturday night.
Prince Ahmed, who was conferred the medal of Commander of the International Order of Civil Defense here on Saturday night, said, “The attack on Prince Mohammed has not deterred our resolve. The doors are still open for deviants to surrender and repent in the name of religion and Allah.”
The prince was referring to an attempt on Aug. 27 to assassinate Prince Mohammed, who was only slightly injured. The attack was later claimed by Al-Qaeda, which named the bomber as Abdullah bin Hassan bin Taleh Assiri. Prince Ahmed was speaking during the opening ceremony of a high-profile international symposium on the management of disasters organized by the Civil Defense.
The inaugural ceremony of this four-day event at the InterCon Hotel was also attended by Prince Mohammed bin Saad, adviser to the interior minister, Lt. Gen. Saad bin Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri, director general of the Civil Defense, and a large number of senior Saudi officials and foreign delegates.
Asked about the situation following the merging of the Saudi and Yemeni arms of Al-Qaeda into “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” (AQAP), and the accusations that the Kingdom is using its airpower to control rebels in Yemen, Prince Ahmad said, “Riyadh was cooperating with Sanaa in its battle against the rebels.”
He, however, rejected rebel allegations that the Saudi Air Force was participating in aerial bombardments. The accusations are “absolutely not true,” he said.
“The Kingdom has no role to play when it comes to anti-terror operations on the soil of Yemen,” he said. He, however, added that the Kingdom had been working closely with all countries, especially with neighboring countries to curb this social evil.
Referring to the prestigious medal conferred on Prince Ahmed by the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO), Al-Tuwaijri said that the medal, which is awarded to heads of state, ministers and public figures for their outstanding contributions in civil defense, has been conferred on Prince Ahmad for his “exemplary efforts to put in place a robust civil defense system in the Kingdom.”
