Top officials from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, key players in the Arab coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis (Ansarallah), have discussed military co-operation following a positive response by Riyadh to a truce offer from the Houthis, AFP reported Monday (October 7th).
Saudi's deputy defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the UAE capital to discuss "co-ordination and joint action in defence and military affairs", Emirati state news agency WAM reported.
The two officials, who spoke late Sunday, also discussed the "challenges" facing the Gulf region and "their implications on the security" of the region, WAM said.
Last week, Prince Khalid said a truce offer made by the Houthis was "perceived positively" by the kingdom and hoped it would be "implemented effectively".
The Iran-backed Houthis offered to halt all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a peace initiative to end the conflict, later repeating their proposal.
The offer came after the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on September 14th against two key Saudi oil installations.
Riyadh and Washington have blamed Iran for the attacks, however -- a charge denied by Tehran.
