Government, military shake up in Saudi Arabia amid unpopular Yemen war

The Saudi King has sacked the country's Army Chief and other top generals and named new ministers and governors across the kingdom in a major shake-up in the government and military leadership amid a three-year-war with Shia Muslim rebels in Yemen.

A series of royal decrees approved by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Monday night announced the changes as part of a wider shake-up in royal advisory positions and provincial governorships in the government, especially in the Defence Ministry.

The surprising changes came ahead of a visit to the UK, the US and France by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also the Defence Minister, amid global protests against Saudi Arabia's conduct of the war in Yemen.

According to the decrees, Saudi Armed Forces Chief General Abdulrahman al-Banyan and Air Force Commander Mohammed al-Qatibi were asked to retire and six generals were promoted to be appointed for senior commander posts.