Riyadh — The first troops from the National Guard have been deployed on the border with Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency said late on Sunday. They will join members of the Border Guard and the army who have reinforced the frontier since March 26 when a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes against Houthi rebels and their allies in Yemen. “The vanguard of National Guard troops have arrived in Najran region to participate in the defense of the southern borders... so as to confront any possible threats,” SPA said. The forces on the border consist of mechanized infantry brigade that includes infantry units, units of artillery and mortars, air defense, reconnaissance, engineering, logistics, weapons of anti-armor and guns of intrusion which are trained to carry out traditional combat tasks and security missions at the same time, commensurate with the current challenges faced by the world in general and the Kingdom in particular. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman announced on April 21 the National Guard's mobilization, just hours before the coalition declared an end to its air campaign dubbed “Operation Decisive Storm.” Expressing his deep pride over the King's directive to involve in this great mission, Minister of the National Guard Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah said National Guard forces are well-equipped and fully prepared to shoulder this great task together with their brothers and colleagues in the rest of the armed forces' sectors. Prince Miteb made the remarks during his inspection tour of Prince Saad Bin Abdurahman Automatic Brigade on April 21.
