RIYADH: Syrian conjoined twins Celine and Eleen Abdulmoneim Alshibli, along with their family, arrived in Riyadh on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The twins and their parents were invited to the Kingdom upon directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, SPA added.

The twins travelled from Lebanon aboard a medical evacuation aircraft provided by the Saudi Ministry of Defense.

They are scheduled to undergo a comprehensive series of medical evaluations at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, and these assessments will determine the feasibility of performing a separation surgery.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor-general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief and head of the surgical and multidisciplinary team, thanked the Kingdom’s leadership for the humanitarian initiative.

“This act underscores Saudi Arabia’s dedication to humanitarian values and its globally recognized medical expertise,” Al-Rabeeah said. He also highlighted the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts in providing medical, humanitarian and relief support worldwide.

The Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, established in 1990, has under the management of Al-Rabeeah separated dozens of conjoined twins from countries around the world.

The family of the twins thanked the Saudi leadership, government and citizens for the warm hospitality and support extended to them since their arrival. They also expressed their trust in the capabilities of the Saudi surgical team, renowned for their expertise in handling similarly complex medical cases.

RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 3,174 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included three anti-personnel mines, seven anti-tank mines and 3,164 unexploded ordnances, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 476,432 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.

The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.