The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Auspicious Ark arrived in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, on Saturday to begin a seven-day friendly visit and provide medical services, marking the first visit by a Chinese naval hospital ship to Guinea.
The hospital ship, which is carrying out Mission Harmony-2026, docked at the Port of Conakry at around 10:00 local time.
Guinean government and military officials, military personnel, the Chinese ambassador to Guinea, defense attache and embassy staff, local residents, representatives of overseas Chinese and Chinese enterprises gathered at the port to welcome the ship.
The national flags of China and Guinea fluttered from the ship's mast. A Guinean military band performed at the port as people waved the national flags of the two countries.
After the ship was berthed, the Guinean military band performed welcome music, while local residents presented a traditional Chinese-style lion dance, creating a warm and festive atmosphere.
Guinean government and military officials, together with the Chinese ambassador to Guinea, defense attache and embassy staff, later boarded the hospital ship for a tour and held discussions with representatives of the mission's personnel.
During the visit, the commander of the mission will hold talks with Guinean military leaders.
The hospital ship will provide medical services from its main platform. Medical training and medical outreach teams will also visit the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital and a military camp to conduct academic exchanges and provide medical consultations and treatment.
The mission will also host a reception on the ship's deck and arrange for representatives of its personnel to visit the Confucius Institute at the University of Conakry for cultural exchanges.
Chinese naval hospital ship Auspicious Ark arrives in Guinea for medical mission
Yemen's Houthi group said Saturday it launched ballistic missiles and drones at an Aramco facility in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh, in retaliation for what it described as intensified Saudi air and missile strikes on Yemen.
In a statement broadcast by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi military Spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed the attack achieved its objective, with "direct hits" setting fire to the targeted sites.
He said the attack was in response to what the Houthis described as Saudi airstrikes on the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa and other Houthi-controlled areas earlier in the day.
In a separate statement on Saturday, Sarea said 60 air and missile strikes had hit Yemen over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of such attacks since the latest escalation began to 1,410.
The Houthi official vowed that the group would continue its strategy of "blockade for blockade" and "escalation for escalation" until Saudi Arabia halts its air campaigns and lifts restrictions on ports and airports in Houthi-held territories.
Tensions between Houthis and Saudi Arabia intensified after the group announced a ban on Saudi-linked vessels entering Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports on July 20, followed by an escalation in cross-border missile and drone attacks and airstrikes.
The confrontation widened further in September amid the fighting between Houthis and the Yemeni government forces, largely backed by Saudi Arabia. The Houthis captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Sept 10 and the strategically located Mayyun Island a day later.
The Yemeni government said on Sept 11 that the Houthi forces had taken control of the entire western coast of the country and pushed their offensive to the southern province of Rahji.
Yemen's conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Yemen's Houthis claim attack on Aramco facility in Riyadh
