News / Saudi Arabia / News

'Ansarullah takes control of al-Tuwal heights in Saudi Arabia'

Thursday, 21 May 2015 5:51 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 25 May 2015 10:10 AM ]

Saudi military vehicles patrol the Saudi-Yemeni border in Saudi Arabia's southwestern Jizan province, on April 13, 2015. (©AFP)

Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters have taken control of al-Tuwal heights in the Jizan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia, a report says.

According to Yemen's al-Masirah Arabic TV channel, Ansarullah fighters and Yemeni army troops entered the mountainous area near the border with Yemen on Thursday and destroyed several Saudi military vehicles as well as ammunition.

The report also said that Saudi troops were forced to withdraw from the region.

This came hours after al-Masirah reported that at least 18 Saudi soldiers have been killed in a rocket attack carried out by Yemeni tribes on border military bases in the border cities of Najran and Dhahran al-Janub in southern Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials have not yet commented on the latest retaliatory attacks.

Early Wednesday, a Saudi soldier, identified as Hassan Someili, was killed during cross-border clashes with fighters from the Houthi fighters in Jizan.

Attacks on Saudi border regions began earlier this month, weeks after the Saudi kingdom began 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

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk