RIYDAH: A Saudi medical team managed to separate Libyan conjoined twins in a complex operation on Thursday at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that while the operation was still underway, the twins were lying in separate beds.

#WATCH: The emotional moment the father of conjoined twins Ahmed and Mohammed meets his sons after the successful operation to separate them https://t.co/HEgoEIag6s pic.twitter.com/RvE1Aag8Am — Arab News (@arabnews) November 14, 2019

The mother of the conjoined twins Ahmed and Mohammed said it was a joy to see they had been separated. “To see Mohammad wrapped separately, I couldn't believe it, my prayers go to the doctor and his team, may their successes continue.”

A video showed the emotional moment when the boys’ father saw them for the first time after the surgery. He broke down in tears before thanking the team of medics

عملية #فصل_التوأم_السيامي_الليبي.. نجاح المرحلة السادسة وهي فصل الجهاز البولي والتناسلي وتبقى 5 مراحل #الإخبارية pic.twitter.com/KVssVoa6bw — قناة الإخبارية (@alekhbariyatv) November 14, 2019

A 35-member surgical team began the operation to separate the twins Ahmed and Mohammed in the morning.

The success rate of the operation, which takes up to 15 hours and is performed through 11 stages, is estimated at 70 percent.

فيديو | د.نزار الزغيبي لـ #الإخبارية: بدأت العملية 7:45 صباحا وحتى الآن وضع التوأم السيامي الليبي مستقر ومطمئن pic.twitter.com/Rw4jDnEIC2 — قناة الإخبارية (@alekhbariyatv) November 14, 2019

“This case comes from Libya, a country that is enduring big challenges,” Dr. Al-Rabeeah said.

“It is due to our leadership’s initiative that the twins are here, to ease the suffering of the twins and of their parents - one of the humane touches of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the operation was the 48th to separate twins in the last 30 years and that the cases came from more than 21 countries.