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18 Saudi soldiers killed near Yemen border: Report

Thursday, 21 May 2015 4:48 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 May 2015 5:36 AM ]

Saudi soldiers from an artillery unit stand behind a pile of ammunition at a position close to the Saudi-Yemeni border, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, on April 13, 2015. (©AFP)

At least 18 Saudi soldiers have been killed in a rocket attack carried out by Yemeni tribes on border military bases in southern Saudi Arabia, a report says.

According to Yemen's Arabic TV channel, al-Masirah, Saudi military equipment was also destroyed in the late Wednesday attack.

Several rockets targeted military positions in the border cities of Najran and Dhahran al-Janub, it said.

Saudi officials have declined to comment on the retaliatory attacks.

The report added that Saudi spy planes have been flying over Yemen’s western Sa’ada Province and border areas.

The latest rocket attack came hours after a Saudi soldier, identified as Hassan Someili, was killed during cross-border clashes with fighters from the Houthi Ansarullah movement in the Jizan region of southwest Saudi Arabia.

Attacks on Saudi border regions began earlier this month, weeks after the Saudi kingdom launched its aggression against the impoverished neighboring country.

Dozens of Saudi troops have been killed or injured in Yemeni forces’ retaliatory attacks.

Saudi Arabia’s military aggression against Yemen started on March 26 - without a UN mandate - in a bid to undermine the Houthis and to restore power to the fugitive former president of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh.

The United Nations says since March 19, over 1,800 people have been killed and 7,330 injured due to the conflict in Yemen, which was exacerbated by the Saudi airstrikes.

DB/GHN

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