UAE soldier killed in Saudi accident

An Emirati soldier has been killed in a military vehicle accident in Saudi Arabia, official news agency WAM reported on Sunday.

The general command of the UAE Armed Forces confirmed that Obaid Salem Saeed Al Badwawi died when his vehicle rolled over.

He was preparing to take part in the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen, the report added.

Last week Emirati soldier Abdullah Juma Al Shamsi was also killed and another soldier injured in Yemen.

The Saudi-led operation began conducting air strikes against Houthi rebels in March in a bid to restore Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government in the country.

In recent months, the UAE and other Arab countries have seen casualty numbers grow as they intensify their offensive.

Speaking during the recent World Government Summit in Dubai, the UAE’s deputy Prime Minister and minister of Interior Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the role played by the country’s troops in assisting Yemen.

“The UAE rushed to protect our brothers in Yemen to restore hope and give back the rights to its people,” he said.

“Had we not intervened in Yemen, the fire would have spilled over into the adjacent countries and into our own homes,” he added.