Bahraini King attends joint military exercise

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander, today attended the final joint exercise, themed: "Wolf's Claws", conducted by the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF)' Royal Special Force and the U.A.E. Special Operations Command (SOC) of the UAE Armed Forces with live ammunition.Upon arrival, HM the King was welcomed by the BDF Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Chief of Staff, the Commander of the Joint Peninsula Shield Forces and senior officers.After some Holy Quran verses were recited, Commander of the Royal Special Force unit delivered a statement in which he welcomed HM the King, the Supreme Commander, and thanked the members of the Special Operations Command for their efforts to develop and consolidate the joint exercise which began in 1994, noting that the drill reflects the advanced level of solidarity among GCC countries and translates the brotherly military cooperation among them on the ground.He also briefed HM King Hamad on the phases and theoretical and practical parts of the three-day joint exercise.Then, HM the King watched part of the drill, conducted with live ammunition and included a number of military exercises.HM the King lauded the solid Bahrain-UAE military cooperation, reflecting the strength of the deep-rooted joint ties, growing steadily for the common interests of the two brotherly peoples.HM King Hamad welcomed the participation of the UAE Special Operations in the joint drill, held in the kingdom along with their brothers from the Royal Special Force, expressing admiration of the outstanding level of performance and harmony among the affiliates of the two units, which, he said, proves their distinguished skills and competence.HM the King valued highly the "fruitful" efforts exerted by all the participants who, he said, showed outstanding level, preparedness and high morale, highlighting the importance of holding similar exercises among the armed forces of GCC countries in order to acquire more expertise and consolidate joint military coordination.After that, HM the King greeted the participants and wished them every success in assuming their patriotic duties.HM the King expressed utmost pleasure at the advanced level of the exercise, and thanked the UAE for its continuous contributions, paying special tribute to UAE President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their great support.He emphasised that the current challenges facing the region require brotherly countries to join ranks and get united.