Saudi King Replaces Military Commanders

(c) 2018, Bloomberg · Glen Carey, Zaid Sabah ·Feb 27, 2018 -   Saudi Arabia replaced several top military commanders including the chief of staff and the heads of ground and air forces, the latest overhaul of traditional power centers in the oil-rich kingdom.   

No reason was given for the changes, which were announced in a series of late-night royal decrees approved by King Salman on Monday. Several civilian officials, including deputy ministers, were also replaced.   

Saudi-backed forces in Syria have largely been defeated by President Bashar al-Assad’s army, supported by Russia and Iran. In Yemen, the Saudis intervened in March 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government and roll back advances by the Houthi rebels, who’d taken control of the capital, Sana’a, and other cities. The conflict has been described by United Nations officials as among the world’s worst humanitarian crises.