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SAUDI RELIGIOUS LEADER URGES BORDER TROOPS TO STAND FIRM AGAINST HOUTHIS
RIYADH, — Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti has called on soldiers serving along the kingdom’s borders to remain fully prepared for combat, including the pos...
By Patience
Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan made the appeal in a statement issued as fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has intensified following weeks of missile, drone and airstrike activity.
The message was directed at troops stationed on Saudi Arabia’s front lines and placed particular emphasis on their responsibility to defend the kingdom’s territory.
BORDER DEFENCE DESCRIBED AS A MAJOR DUTY
In the statement, the Grand Mufti presented the defence of Saudi Arabia as a major religious responsibility.
He said protecting the kingdom and confronting anyone seeking to take even a portion of its territory were among the most important duties and acts of devotion, adding that fulfilling such a responsibility could require the sacrifice of lives.
The statement also urged soldiers serving at the front to remain continuously prepared to perform their duties and to obey the country’s rulers and military commanders.
Troops were further instructed to carry out military orders with the highest level of precision.
FOCUS ON THE CONFLICT IN YEMEN
The message also turned attention to the continuing struggle for control of Yemen.
The Grand Mufti called for the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government to establish its authority throughout the entire country, describing this as one of the most pressing obligations.
The call comes after forces belonging to the Yemeni government lost control of the Bab el-Mandeb waterway to the Houthis about two weeks ago.
The development represents a setback for Saudi Arabia, which has remained involved in Yemen’s conflict since 2015, when it launched an operation intended to remove the Houthis from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. That operation was unsuccessful.
FIGHTING HAS INTENSIFIED AFTER A PERIOD OF RELATIVE CALM
The latest confrontation represents another escalation in Yemen’s long-running civil war.
The conflict had largely remained frozen since 2022, but fighting has intensified again and has become connected to the wider war involving Iran.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have carried out attacks against Saudi Arabia using missiles and drones, while Saudi forces have responded with airstrikes.
The renewed attacks have also prompted questions over whether Saudi Arabia could undertake a broader military operation together with Yemeni government forces it supports.
TROOPS URGED TO FOLLOW MILITARY COMMAND
The Grand Mufti’s appeal placed particular emphasis on discipline among soldiers serving on the front lines.
He urged them to remain ready to fulfil their responsibilities, follow instructions from the kingdom’s leadership and field commanders, and execute orders precisely.
The statement also invoked the example of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, linking the soldiers’ role to the defence of Muslim sacred sites.
CALL FOR DEFEAT OF THE HOUTHIS
The religious leader ended his message with prayers for Saudi Arabia and Yemen to be protected from harm.
He also called for the complete defeat of the Houthi movement and those assisting or supporting it.
The statement comes at a time of heightened military activity involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, adding a strongly religious dimension to the kingdom’s public messaging surrounding the conflict.
Saudi authorities have in recent weeks accused the Houthis of attacks inside the kingdom, including an alleged attack on a mosque in the south. Authorities have also accused the group of launching an attack on Mecca, Islam’s holiest site.
The Grand Mufti’s message therefore comes as Saudi forces remain engaged in renewed fighting linked to the wider conflict in Yemen and the broader regional confrontation involving Iran.