Saudi soldier dies in cross border fire with Yemen

A soldier in Saudi Arabia has been killed in an exchange of cross-border gunfire with Yemen.

A security spokesman from the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed that the border guard soldier was identified as Mohammed bin Hussein bin Yahya Hanani.

He died in the exchange of gunfire “with attackers from inside the Yemeni territories on the southern border,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

SPA quoted the spokesman as saying that Hanani faced the attack at 10:50 local time on Saturday morning at Jalah in the Jazan region.

“Immediately, the patrol was given the necessary support by land forces resulting in complete control of the situation,” it added.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition’s intervention in Yemen began in March 2015 in a bid to restore its government to power by fighting the Iran-allied Houthis, who seized power in 2014.

Last month, the Saudi Arabian air force also intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen.

The missile was launched from Yemeni territory heading towards the city of Abha, the capital of southwestern Asir province, SPA reported.

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