RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Government forces have taken control of a mountain straddling the Saudi border with Yemen and cleared it of Shi’ite rebels, in five days of fighting that saw three soldiers killed and 15 wounded, the assistant defense minister said yesterday.
Prince Khaled bin Sultan said another four soldiers were missing and that Saudi troops were still dealing with rebel infiltrators in other spots along the frontier. Bin Sultan said Saudi forces had not entered northern Yemen nor commented on rebel casualties.
“We are dealing with infiltrators and gangs. All that they seized, including Dokhan mountain, are now under our control, although there is infiltration in some locations,’’ bin Sultan was quoted as telling reporters after visiting the region.
Saudi warplanes and artillery bombarded a Shi’ite rebel stronghold in northern Yemen last week for three straight days, according to the rebel fighters.
The sporadic five-year conflict between Yemen’s weak central government and rebels in the north of the impoverished country escalated dramatically after the bombings began.
The two nations are cooperating and sharing intelligence in the fight.
Publicly, Saudi officials say their military action has been limited to areas inside its own borders. But Yemeni rebels, military officials, and Arab diplomats say the Saudi air and artillery strikes began to hit deep inside northern Yemen on Thursday.
