An official source at the Ministry of Defence and Aviation and Inspectorate General today denied a report published by the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper and later transmitted by the Doha-based Al-Jazeerah television channel, quoting what they called “Saudi opposition sources” in London as saying that four pilots were arrested due to suspicious behaviour while Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, was patronizing the annual exercise of the Saudi Air Force, ‘Abdul Aziz 24’, in Hidn, Al-Taif Province, last Wednesday evening.
The source said that the ‘Abdul Aziz 24’ Air Force exercise, which was also attended by Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, went very smoothly. Nobody was arrested, as the paper alleged.
The source reiterated that reports on the arrest of pilots were baseless fabrication. It recalled another falsified report published by the same paper regarding the discovery of three missiles in Al-Qozia area, south of Jeddah, allegedly positioned to launch an attack on U.S. naval targets. The source said that the newspaper, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, relies on sources that lack credibility, and aims to provoke agitation by deceiving the public.
Source: SPA
