‘ALLIANCE WILL WIPE OUT TERRORISTS’

Terror survived as there had been no coordination among members, says Saudi crown prince

SAUDI Arabia’s powerful crown prince vowed to “pursue terrorists until they are wiped from the face of the earth” as officials from 40 Muslim-majority countries gathered yesterday in the first meeting of an Islamic counterterrorism alliance.

“In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination” among national authorities, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, who is also defence minister, said in his keynote speech.

“This ends today, with this alliance.”

The summit is the first meeting of defence ministers and other senior officials from the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, which officially counts 41 countries and identifies as a “pan-Islamic unified front” against violent extremism.

The alliance was announced in 2015 under the auspices of Prince Mohammed, whose rapid ascent since his appointment as heir to the throne in June has shaken the political scene in the region.

The meeting coincides with an escalation in tensions between Riyadh and Teheran, particularly over wars in Syria and Yemen.

Retired Pakistani general Raheel Sharif was appointed commander-in-chief of the alliance.

The alliance aims to “mobilise and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate exchange of information and help member countries build their counterterrorism capacity,” Sharif said.

The alliance officially includes Qatar, which is the target of a sixmonth boycott led by Saudi Arabia, but organisers said no Qatari officials were present. AFP