Saudi Arabia continues operations against Houthis

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia continued its military operations on its vast rugged mountainous regions along the Yemeni border on Saturday to flush out the infiltrated Houthi rebels.

The military operation has been taking place with new reinforcements, especially Special Forces handling armed gangs, in Jabal Dukhan and other regions. F-15 fighters were also taking part in the operation with their reconnaissance mission above high mountaintops on the border regions.

The Saudi artillery forces were successful in halting sporadic firing incidents reported from various corners. More security forces have been mobilized in villages close to the border to ensure their security and deterring further infiltration.

Speaking to Gulf News, Maj. Gen. Ebrahim Al Malik, director general of general affairs at the Saudi Armed Forces, said that it is very difficult to pass on to media the clear picture of the outcome of the operation or the number of infiltrators at present.

“This is mainly because of the ruggedness of the mountainous regions where the military operation is going on. All the relevant information will be made public after completion of the operation, which started on Wednesday, to flush out the last remaining infiltrators,” he said.

In a similar disclosure, Lt. Col. Salem Al Selmi, an official in charge of general affairs of the Border Guards General Directorate, said that the entire southern border regions are in control of the Saudi forces.

“Border Guard patrols are carrying out their missions as per plans, and the evacuated people could return to their native villages over the coming few days,” he said.

Replying to queries from Gulf News as to whether any changes in modus operandi of fulfilling its missions in the changed scenario, and that whether it includes combing operations in the whole border regions, Lt. Col. Salem said: “Combing operation is not part of our duties. We have handed over security of the areas to the military personnel, and it is they, who undertake combing operations at present.”

He also denied reports about death of two border guards in the attack of infiltrators from Yemen on Tuesday. “This is not true. Only one official – Turki Al Qahtani - was killed and among the 11 wounded, only two receiving treatment at the Interior Security Hospital in Samta,” he added.

Meanwhile, press reporters working in Jizan region told Gulf News that various sections of the Saudi security forces have made elaborate combing operations covering the entire border regions to prevent any more infiltration of Houthi rebels, disguised as women sometimes or Pakistani residents in some other cases as part of their tactics to befool the forces.

“The Saudi armed forces are shouldering a heavy task of exercising complete control of its vast rugged mountainous border areas with Yemen stretching over 1800 km. The forces are also using thermal cameras in carrying out their duties of nabbing infiltrators,” they said.

At the same time, the Houthi aggression evoked massive outrage from the regional and international communities. Several leading international bodies and Muslim organizations such as the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which groups 57 Muslim countries, the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, the Makkah-based Muslim World League and the Saudi Shoura Council, in addition to several countries including Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait and Bahrain, vowed their unflinching support to Saudi Arabia in giving a crushing defeat to the rebels.

On the humanitarian front, Saudi Border Guards continued its mission of entertaining Yemenis fleeing from the border regions, where the Yemeni government forces have been battling the Shiite Zaidi rebels, in addition to Saudis stranded as a result of the military operation. The Border Guards have erected more tents and shelters to accommodate the stranded people.

In another development, Jizan Governor Prince Muhammad bin Nasser has ordered to shut down 41 more schools in the regions close to the border as part of precautionary measures to ensure their safety and security.

The government has also issued directives to get enrolled these students temporarily at schools far away from the regions, where the military operation is going on. Prince Mohammad also visited injured Border Guards admitted to Samtah hospital.

The prince visited villages in Al Khoba where armed infiltrators entered Saudi territory and inspected the activities of the governmental, security and medical departments there. While visiting the shelters for those evacuated, the governor assured them all support.

Also, the hospitals in the region have been put on high alert in anticipation of any escalation of violence. More than 40 ambulances were readied in addition to mobilization of more doctors and other medical staffers to tackle emergency situations.

Lambasting the dubious role being played by Iran in the ongoing stand off between the government forces and Al Houthi rebels in Yemen, Saudi analysts accused Iran of breeding “Al Houthi Hezbollah” with an ulterior motive of creating security headache to Saudi Arabia. Dr. Ali Al Atiyyah, a political analyst, said that Al Houthi rebels are simply tools in the hands of a big player.

“Even though Saudi Arabia wants to maintain good bilateral relations with all the countries in the region, it will not tolerate any attempts to undermine its security and stability,” he said.

On his part, Yousuf Al Kowalit, a Saudi writer, noted that Saudi Arabia preferred to adopt a policy of non-interference and neutrality on almost all Arab internal issues. “However, the Houthi rebels now pose a grave threat to its own internal security. The government of Saudi Arabia will do whatever needed to protect its borders from such an aggression,” he added.