3 Saudi soldiers killed in Yemen border clash

Middle East, News May 1, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Riyadh says three Saudi soldiers have been killed in a border clash with Yemeni forces in the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia.

Citing a statement by the Defense Ministry, the official Saudi Press Agency said that the latest border clash broke out on Thursday in the southwestern Jizan region, near the Yemeni border.

“The ground forces clashed with them with direct and indirect fire,” it said, claiming that Saudi forces killed “dozens” of Yemeni forces with the support of airstrikes. The Yemeni side, however, did not comment on the Saudi report of casualties.

This came hours after the Saudi Interior Ministry said that its patrol commander was killed in mortar fire near the Yemeni border. The Saudi commander, identified as Rajeh al-Hassan al-Majayeshi, was killed in the Jalah area in the Harath district, the ministry said.

Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have been waging a fierce air campaign – now in its fifth week – against Yemen’s Shiite Houthi group.The Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes on March 25, with the aim of toppling the Houthi government in Yemen, which it views as loyal to Iran.

The Houthis, for their part, denounce the offensive as unwarranted “Saudi-American aggression” against Yemen.