H.H. Brigadier Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Commander of the Bahrain Royal Guard and H.H. Major Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Commander of the Royal Guards Special Force and Commander of the Joint Counter-terrorism Exercise “Haras Al Mamlaka 1” attended the final activities of the event that was also attended by experts from the United Kingdom, France and the United States, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
The Exercise held at Seef Mall from the evening of Tuesday, December 5 to the morning of Wednesday, December 6, with the participation of forces from the Bahrain Defense Force, the Ministry of Interior and the National Guard. It aimed to reinforce joint military and security work as a foundation for counter-terrorism and the protection of the security and safety of the nation.
Major Khalid delivered a speech, in which he hailed the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa the Supreme Commander and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.
He also hailed the directives of Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defense Force, Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa for the success of the Exercise.
He expressed thanks and appreciation to the contributors to the success of the event from the Bahrain Defense Force, the National Guard, the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecution through providing legal assistance. He also hailed the major cooperation of the management of the Seef Mall.
He further stressed that terrorism considers as a major concern of most countries, including regional states in general and the Kingdom of Bahrain in particular. He said that the new concept of terrorism was developed after the September 11 attack, as those countries became aware of the importance of getting their forces ready to confront the new terrorism wave, as terrorist organizations developed their new and innovative methods.
Major Khalid highlighted the dedication of developed countries to fight all forms of terrorism through international legal framework. Therefore the Kingdom of Bahrain strives to benefit from the expertise of those countries, such as the US, UK and France and set legislation and legal procedures that meet international standards and human rights in managing counter-terrorism.
After that Major Amar Al Qashar, the Exercise Coordinator gave a briefed on the sequence of the exercise, marking the commencement of the event. The participating forces demonstrated their distinguished and high skills throughout the exercise’s phases to reflect the level of preparedness, readiness and cooperation between the forces within a comprehensive system to confront terrorist threats.
Meanwhile, the Exercise’s sites and procedures were inspected. At the end of the Exercise, HH Brigadier Sheikh Nasser expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander and His Royal Highness, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister for their support and directives for the success of the Exercise.
HH Brigadier Sheikh Nasser highlighted that the achievements of the first of its kind Exercise were remarkable, especially when observing officers and personnel jointly carrying duties. He said that the training of the Exercise took around six months to assemble forces and unify concepts, and this contributed to carrying the Exercise with professionalism.
He revealed that the idea of the Exercise was inspired by the directives of HM the King and said: “We are facing all forms of terrorism, so it is essential to unify concepts, communication, commanding and control methods in Bahrain Defense Force, the Ministry of Interior and the National Guard. This is part of our duty, as long as we have the capability and energy. By the grace of God, the matter went smoothly with the contributions of commanders at the site.”
