20-nation military drill launched in Saudi Arabia

A military drill named “North Thunder” was launched in northern Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Countries participating in the drill included Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Senegal, Sudan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Turkey, Tunisia, Comoros, Djibouti, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Egypt and Mauritania, in addition to the Peninsula Shield Forces, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

According to SPA, the drill is the largest military drill in the world in terms of the number of participating forces as well as the breadth of the maneuver area.

It focuses on training troops on how to deal with terror groups and how to transfer from traditional to low-intensity combat operations.

The drill comes in light of the growing terrorist threats as well as the political instability in the region. It also reflects the desire of the participating countries in maintaining the region’s security and stability.

This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on Feb. 28, 2016.