Saudi confirms two soldiers killed on border with Yemen

Two more Saudi soldiers have been killed on the border with Yemen as the kingdom continues to battle Houthi rebels, the official Saudi Press Agency has announced.

On Sunday, Sergeant Ali Mufreh Hassan Ghazouani and Sergeant Sorwi Ahmed Al Said were “martyred while carrying out their duty in protecting the country’s borders from rebel aggressors,” the report said.

They were killed on the southern boundary of the Jazan region.

Earlier this month, three Saudi soldiers were killed and seven border guards were wounded in Dhahran Aljanoub, in the Saudi border region of Aseer following shelling from Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition of Middle Eastern countries began conducting air strikes in Yemen on March 26 in order to expel Houthi rebels who took over parts of the country in September last year.

The coalition is also working to restore the government under Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Riyadh.

There have been a number of military casualties since the conflict began with news agency AFP estimating that over 51 soldiers have been killed in shelling and skirmishes on the Saudi border with Yemen.

Soldiers from the United Arab Emirates have also been killed.

The conflict in Yemen has also led to a severe humanitarian crisis in the country.

According to the World Health Organisation, some 4,345 people have been killed and 22,110 injured since March 19.

Officials said 12.9 million people in Yemen lacked basic food supplies and 850,000 children faced acute malnutrition.

“The humanitarian situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Every family in Yemen has been affected by this conflict,” International Committee of the Red Cross president Peter Maurer said earlier this month.