Houthis announce ground attack in Saudi Arabia

The Houthis yesterday announced that Saudi soldiers had been killed in an offensive operation launched by the movement’s militants in the Jazan region, southwest of Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis’ Al-Masirah channel quoted an unnamed military source saying that the movement has launched an offensive operation east of Jahfan Mountain on the Jazan Front. A number of Saudi soldiers were killed and wounded during the attack.

The source did not elaborate on the details and Saudi did not comment on the allegations.

READ: Yemen’s Houthis say they launched drone attack on Saudi’s Jizan airport 

The Houthi group has recently increased its drone and medium-range missile attacks on Saudi targets, especially at Jazan and Abha airports. The movement also announced the death of Saudi soldiers during clashes near the Yemeni border.

Riyadh is leading a coalition of Arab states which began launching airstrikes in Yemen in March 2015 to restore to power internationally backed President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who was driven from the capital in 2014 by Houthi fighters and militias allied with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh severed ties with the Houthis on 2 December; he was killed by the group two days later.

The UAE withdrew its forces from Yemen earlier this month saying it is preparing for a “new phase” in the conflict.