Saudi airforce chief dies

The commander of the Saudi Royal Air Forces, Lieutenant-General Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Shaalan, died on 10 June of a heart attack, according to the Ministry of Defence. Shaalan, airforce chief since a major defence reshuffle in May 2014, was said to be on a business trip; there were immediately claims in sectors of the press antagonistic to Saudi Arabia that he was actually killed in a Houthi missile attack on Mushayt Khamis on 6 June. Defence minister Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) was at Riyadh Air Base on 13 June to receive Shaalan’s body; it is not clear who will replace him.