Riyadh: Saudi security forces have nabbed 611 infiltrators from Yemen and several African countries on its southern border over the last two days. A huge quantity of cables and detonators intended to set off blasts as well as forged passports were seized from some of them, according to security sources.
Their arrest was made at a time when the Saudi armed forces are continuing their offensive against Al Houthi rebels on some border mountains, especially Mount Al Dowd and Al Romaih.
Saudi F15 fighters and Apache copters continued their sorties on rebel positions on the border.
The strongholds of the aggressors in valleys and in the mountains were pounded by Saudi planes.
The security sources said Apache gunships carried out intense air raids that prevented infiltrators from entering Saudi territory.
The gunships struck vehicles carrying fighters and ammunition at the foot of Mount Al Dowd. This came after the armed forces detected attempts by infiltrators to cross into the Kingdom. The sources said two planes were used to hit the infiltrators' positions using pinpoint laser technology.
They also prevented attempts by armed men from infiltrating Saudi border villages. The armed infiltrators were seen coming from caves and shooting randomly. There were exchanges of fire between the two sides. An unspecified number of armed rebels were killed while they attempted to infiltrate into Saudi territories under the cover of darkness at Al Romaih mountainous region.
Sources said Saudi forces opened the roads on Mount Dokhan and Mount Al Dowd allowing the Kingdom's machinery to reach the location where Saudi forces were stationed at the foothills of the mountains.
This helped to provide support for all operations. Reporters witnessed the movement of machinery, transportation of soldiers, and the patrols combing the border villages.
Saudi forces used reinforcements to effectively follow the constant movement of infiltrators in the area. According to military sources, Saudi paratroopers have largely been deployed on Mount Al Dowd to foil any further infiltration by Al Houthi rebels.