By MD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS
Prince Khaled bin Sultan receives Khaled Al-Audah and Ahmed Al-Amri at Riyadh Airbase. (AN photo by Ahmed Yosri)
JEDDAH: Prince Khaled bin Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, received two more Saudi soldiers released by Yemen's northern rebels when they arrived at Riyadh Airbase from Sanaa on Thursday.
Prince Khaled emphasized that Saudi armed forces had driven away all Yemeni intruders from its territory, adding that the Kingdom held 500 captives. "We'll not rest until we know the whereabouts of the remaining missing soldiers," he said.
"We have 500 intruders who come under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry. We'll deal with them following international regulations. We hope they can return home after completing the necessary conditions," the prince said.
A spokesman for the rebels said they had begun to hand over the remaining soldiers earlier on Thursday. "We have started to hand over the rest of the Saudi soldiers to the cease-fire committee in Saada," Mohammed Abdul Salam said.
The released soldiers were identified as Khaled Al-Audah of the Naval Force and Ahmed Al-Amri of the Special Forces. "The two soldiers will undergo medical checkups and meet with their families today (Thursday)," the prince told reporters.
On Monday, the rebels set free the first of the five Saudi soldiers they captured during three months of clashes on the border. "Two more captives remain with the intruders. We don't know whether they are alive or not," the prince said.
Prince Khaled commended the efforts of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to win the release of the three soldiers. "We thank the Yemeni government and people for this gesture".
Members of the cease-fire committees said that the Yemeni soldiers could deploy along the border with Saudi Arabia on Saturday. "If we finish de-mining the border area by Saturday, the army will be deployed in the area," a committee member said.
The rebels announced their withdrawal from the border area on Tuesday. In addition to freeing all prisoners and opening roads in the north, the truce requires the rebels to withdraw from government buildings, return arms seized from security forces, hand over captured army posts and pledge not to attack Saudi Arabia.
The rebels have been engaged in sporadic fighting with government forces since 2004. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that more than 250,000 people have fled their homes. It renewed calls on Tuesday for access to tens of thousands of displaced people in Saada province following the cease-fire.
The UNHCR also warned its humanitarian operations might be reduced or suspended if its aid appeals remain unmet.
With the truce in place, the UNHCR wants access to Saada province so aid agencies can help the needy, spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told a news conference. "Displaced people and those who were trapped by the fighting need urgent and massive support".
Arab News
