Bahrain’ King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Supreme Commander of Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF)  attended Wednesday the mobilization drill carried out by the Royal Guard as part of their annual training, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

King Hamad was welcomed on arrival by BDF Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dhiab bin Saqr Al Nuaimi, Royal Guard Commander Colonel Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Royal Guard Special Force Commander Major Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and senior officers.

The Royal Guard Special Force Commander thanked HM the King for the visit and presented him with an account on the military exercise which aims to boost the participants' mobilization competence and coordination with various weaponries.

The drill included shooting with live ammunition performed by a number of warplanes of the Royal Bahrain Air Force (RBAF) which struck the targets with utmost precision.

The King lauded the high combat readiness and outstanding professionalism shown by the Royal Guard affiliates, stressing the importance of such exercises in boosting the combat competence. He thanked the BDF Commander-in-Chief for his distinguished efforts to develop BDF and its combat capabilities.

King Hamad commended keenness of the Royal Guard personnel to carry out their national duty with utmost loyalty and dedication, praising their great competence, high morale and distinguished physical fitness. He also underlined the importance of bolstering military cooperation with the GCC and friendly countries to confront challenges and maintain regional security and stability.

King Hamad lauded the high competence of BDF weaponries, describing them as the cornerstone of comprehensive national growth. He congratulated BDF personnel on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, wishing them continuous success.

Meanwhile, Bahrain Police said on Thursday they had seized explosives and bomb making materials planned for use in attacks in Bahrain and neighboring Gulf Arab ally Saudi Arabia.

Police Chief Major-General Tariq al-Hasan said the seized items, including powerful explosive C4, commercial detonators, advanced circuitry, chemicals and mobile phones, “represent a significant escalation in attempts to smuggle explosives material into Bahrain”.

Source: BNA; Reuters