HRH Crown Prince visits Royal Guard; honours servicemen who participated in Taskforce 11

Manama, June 20 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister today visited the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Royal Guard. HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa accompanied His Royal Highness. Upon arrival, HRH the Crown Prince was received by the Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Defence Affairs Minister, Lieutenant-General Yusuf bin Ahmed Al-Jalahma, the BDF’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Theyab bin Saqer Al Noaimi, the Royal Guard Commander, Brigadier His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Commander of the Royal Guard's Special Force, Major His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and a number of senior officers. During the visit, HRH the Crown Prince highlighted the commitment of Bahrain’s brave forces and their loyalty to His Majesty and the country. The Crown Prince also praised the Bahraini forces’ contribution to Operations Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope as part of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen. After a performance of Bahrain’s national anthem, the military parade greeted HRH and verses from the Holy Quran were recited. The Royal Guard Commander, Brigadier His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, delivered a speech during the visit. HH Shaikh Nasser highlighted that "the Royal Guard is proud to honour the Force of Duty 11 group, which has recently returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen, where it played a vital role within the Saudi-led coalition. On behalf of HM the King, we honour those who gave their lives in the service of the Kingdom of Bahrain. HH added that " It is true that there are hypocrites and conspirators who have sought to deceive our Kingdom and allied themselves with external forces against our brothers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Arab world, in order to destabilise and divide the region. HH also said that “Today, we are in the company of the brave members of the Bahrain Defence Force, whose members have lost brothers in defence of the Kingdom. Under the leadership and command of HM the King, the Bahrain Defence Force stands with dignity, courage and honour in defence of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Also during the visit, the Crown Prince presented the military medals awarded by His Majesty the King to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and personnel of the BDF's Special Operations Force (Taskforce 11) in recognition of their dedicated service in Yemen. HRH viewed the Royal Guard military competitions, during which military personnel demonstrated their fitness and abilities to demonstrate their combat readiness. The winners were congratulated and honoured, receiving awards from the Crown Prince.