Saudi King names son new crown prince

Riyadh June 21 (IANS) Saudi Arabia s King Salman on Wednesday appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince replacing his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as first in line to the throne.

According to King Salman s decree Prince Mohammed bin Salman 31 will be the Deputy Prime Minister while continuing as Defence Minister BBC reported.

Prince Nayef 57 has also been removed from his role as head of domestic security the state media said. He has pledged allegiance to the new crown prince news agency SPA reported.

King Salman 81 acceded to the throne in January 2015 after the death of his half-brother Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

He announced his first major cabinet reshuffle a few months later appointing Prince Nayef as crown prince and Prince Salman as deputy crown prince.

As Defence Minister and deputy crown prince Prince Salman led Saudi Arabia s war in Yemen and oversaw the kingdom s energy policy.

Prince Nayef was the kingdom s security chief for many years and was known for his strong stance against Islamist militants.

--IANS
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