Video: Yemeni rebels storm Saudi border post

Analysis: A video released by the Houthi al-Masirah television channel shows a group of Yemeni rebels apparently entering Saudi territory and storming a border outpost.

MENA

2 min read

Abubakr al-Shamahi

10 June, 2015

The Yemeni rebels hit a Saudi tank during the attack (YouTube)

In the latest salvo of the propaganda war that surrounds the conflict in Yemen, a Houthi television channel released a video on Tuesday evening showing an attack by a group of Yemeni rebels on an outpost within Saudi Arabia, ending with Saudi tanks retreating and rebels celebrating.

The few dozen rebels, made up of Houthi militiamen and Yemeni army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, attacked what the video claims to be a border post manned by the Saudi National Guard in Najran, a Saudi province on the border with Yemen, on the morning of June 8.

al-Araby cannot independently verify the content of this video.

Although some fighters appear to be wearing army uniform, others can be seen in sandals and traditional attire, yet managed to come down from the rugged high ground on the Yemeni border undetected, before firing light and medium weaponry at the outpost and the tanks present there, setting one tank ablaze and forcing the others to flee.

The Saudis are said to have been ordered to withdraw until support arrives if there is a risk of being surrounded.

The heavily edited video shows the rebels chanting the Houthi slogan: "Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews." They then enter the outpost watchtower. The Yemeni rebels appear to have withdrawn to Yemeni territory after the raid.

Yemen's Houthi-controlled state news agency, Saba, quoted an unnamed military source saying the "al-Sharfa position of the Saudi enemy" had been stormed.

The source added that two military vehicles were destroyed as well as a watchtower.

The Saudi military has not commented on the attack.

The attack is the latest in a rebel strategy to attack Saudi border areas, in retaliation for the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Houthi and Saleh-allied positions in Yemen, where the Houthi-Saleh forces are fighting with local forces pitted against them in southern and eastern Yemen.

The exiled government of Yemen also has forces fighting alongside the anti-Houthi units.

On Saturday morning, a Scud missile fired from Yemen was reportedly shot down by Saudi Arabia near the south-western city of Khamis Mushait, after the death of Saudi soldiers and Yemeni rebels in border clashes on Friday.

The fighting comes before expected UN talks between the warring Yemeni parties are set to begin this weekend in Geneva, Switzerland.

Reports have also emerged of Saudi incursions into Yemeni territory, specifically Yemen's western Hajja province that borders Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis reportedly crossed the border from Jizan heading towards Haradh, a Yemeni border town, before encountering Houthi-Saleh forces.