Warplanes roared overhead, tanks rumbled across the desert and smoke filled the sky for the final day of what Saudi Arabia billed as the region’s biggest-ever military exercises.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif along with the top Saudi leadership witnessed the concluding ceremony of ‘Thunder of the North’ military exercises in of Saudi Arabia, ISPR said on Thursday.
“Premier and army chief with Saudi leadership and other dignitaries on site of the North Thunder final manoeuvres,” DG ISPR Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said in a statement.
The 12-day “Northern Thunder” manoeuvres in the kingdom’s northeast included 20 nations from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Saudi officials said.
As the dignitaries watched from a pavilion, Apache gunships fired rockets with a bone-shaking blast. Smoke rose from targets on the ground and commandos rappelled from helicopters.
Fighter jets streaked through the sky releasing orange flares, artillery shells whistled through the air and heavy machinegun fire boomed from across the drill site, which stretched for dozens of kilometres.
The prime minister and COAS reached Riyadh on Wednesday to witness the military exercises as well as hold talks on the regional and bilateral issues.
They were received at the King Saud Airport by Prince Muhammad bin Salman and other high-ranking officials.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi also accompanied the top leadership to Riyadh.
The visit comes on the invitation of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz to witness the military exercises, as well as hold talks on the regional and bilateral issues.
Earlier Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership decided to expand its engagements with Saudi Arabia and will offer military training to the Saudi troops, provide it military hardware and share intelligence.
