Three soldiers were executed in Saudi Arabia today for “high treason and cooperation with the enemy”. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense in Riyadh, which gave the names of those executed, but not the exact allegations they were charged with. They were reportedly executed at a base near the border with Yemen.
The 35-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is noticeably consolidating his position of power in Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince, who also heads the Ministry of Defense, is already seen as the actual ruler of the country. In the past three years he has put numerous critics and rivals out of the way. Members of the royal family, company bosses and representatives of religious communities have been imprisoned.
In March 2020, according to information provided, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulasis al-Saud, a brother of King Salman, and the king’s nephew, Prince Mohammed bin Najef, were arrested. There were no public statements.
Riyadh is at the head of a military coalition that got involved in the conflict in Yemen in March 2015. However, it was not possible to decisively defeat the Houthi rebels supported by Iran. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since then, and millions of residents have had to flee. The United Nations classifies the situation in Yemen as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Heavy fighting over the Yemeni city of Marib
The fighting in Yemen over the strategically important region of Marib has recently come to a head. As reported today from army circles, 53 more fighters on both sides were killed within 24 hours. The most recent fighting was concentrated on the fronts in the northwest of the city of Marib.
According to the information, 22 army soldiers and 31 rebels were among the dead. The Houthis had succeeded in conquering a small area, it was said. However, the regional capital Marib itself is not threatened.
The Saudi-led military coalition reportedly carried out air strikes against the rebels. However, that did not prevent the Houthis from continuing their offensive on Marib.
