Saudi Arabia’s military has gone into a state of high alert following deadly clashes with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who also tried to fire a missile over the kingdom toward Israel, according to people familiar with the matter,
Bloomberg reports.
Four Saudi soldiers died in the fight with Houthi forces in the mountainous southwestern Jazan Province on the border with Yemen, said the people, asking not to be identified as the information is private. This marks the first instance of combat since a previous ceasefire was reached with the Houthi rebels in April of the preceding year. Before this escalation, both sides were close to a peaceful agreement.
The recent clashes on the Yemen-Saudi border followed the launching of winged missiles and drones by the Houthi rebels towards Israel on October 19, which the Pentagon claimed were intercepted by an American destroyer in the Red Sea.
According to the sources, one of these rockets was also intercepted by Saudi Arabia's air defense systems and fell within the country's territory. The United States and Saudi Arabia had not previously claimed Saudi Arabia's involvement in thwarting the attacks.
