Saudi official confirms 133 soldiers killed during battles with Houthi fighters of northern Yemen

 

January 24, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Despite top Saudi Arabian officials' repeated denials of military involvement in Yemen, the country’s assistant defense minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan told reporters yesterday the Kingdom has lost nearly 140 soldiers in the course of the battles with Houthi fighters of northern Yemen.

 

The Prince said they have found the bodies of 20 out of the 26 missing soldiers close to the border with Yemen around the strategic Dokhan Mountain. Saudi Arabia entered the war against northern Yemeni fighters under the pretext of safeguarding the border regions, but the Houthis say Saudi Arabia’s involvement is a form of support for the Yemeni central government backed by Washington.

 

The Houthis claim the Saudis use American made, internationally banned, phosphorous bombs against poor villagers.  Prince Khaled described the war with Houthis as, ‘close to a guerrilla war.’ However, the battle hardened fighters of northern Yemen who say they are fighting against historical neglects, discrimination and corruption by the central government, have put up stiff resistance on both war fronts.

 

Saudi Arabia predominantly attacks Houthis positions by conducting air raids. On Saturday, the Saudi army delivered 18 separate air strikes killing and wounding a number of villagers. The Saudi ground offensive also took place on Saturday where hundreds of rockets and mortar shells were fired on northern Yemen villages.

 

Houthis' website showed video clips of the leader, Abdel Malik al-Houthi, being in good health despite some reports saying he has been seriously injured during one of the offensives.