In a tour of the Saudi-Yemeni border on May 8, Khaled did not say how
many soldiers would be kept along the Yemeni border, Middle East Newsline reported. But he said the Royal
Saudi Army would maintain a brigade headquarters that would coordinate a
range of military and security force units.
"We will not to hesitate to provide all the requirements of the armed
forces," Khaled said.
Officials said the Saudi military was authorized to maintain a
brigade-size presence along the Yemeni border near former positions of the
Iranian-backed Believing Youth in northern Yemen. They said the military and
security presence would be bolstered to prevent renewed Shi'ite rebel
infiltration.
"There will be a force capable of confrontation and deterrence," Khaled
said. "We take into account the worst-case scenario."
Officials said Khaled and the rest of the Saudi leadership have
determined that Interior Ministry security forces were not capable of
preventing Shi'ite infiltration into the Saudi border province of Jizan.
They said the government was overseeing the construction of a series of
border posts and facilities.
In November 2009, the Believing Youth infiltrated Saudi Arabia and
captured two border villages. The Shi'ite rebels were said to have occupied
the villages for more than a month.