JAZAN: Saudi forces early on Thursday completed a two-day battle against Houthi infiltrators at the Jazan border.
Sources said that more than 40 Houthi fighters were killed as they were attempting to sneak into the Kingdom through Hathira, one of the border villages in Jazan. Hundreds of other forces later withdrew.
Membersof Houthi militias and the Republican Guards of ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh attempted to control the village using snipers, Hawn and Katyusha missiles.
The sources described Houthi militia and Republican Guard operations as suicide attacks where a group would storm Saudi armored vehicles stationed on the border, using light weapons; at the same time, a group from the back would help the attackers by launching sniper attacks as well as firing Katyushas and mortar shells. However, all these attacks failed.
As dozens of the Houthis were killed on the first day, several of them withdrew only to return on the second day to attempte the same maneuvers.
Saudi forces used different kinds of artillery throughout the day while Apache helicopters conducted night operations along the entire borderline.
The Houthi militias and the Republican Guards tried using different tactics in this battle. Some of their snipers buried themselves under the soil and they used fake soldier modules in an attempt to divert the attention of the Saudi forces.
Security forces foil Houthi bid to infiltrate Jazan
Security forces foil Houthi bid to infiltrate Jazan
Saudi deputy foreign minister calls for Sudanese unity during meeting in Cairo
- Waleed Al-Khuraiji says a political solution to the civil war in Sudan must be based on respect for its sovereignty
- He rejects quasi-government formed by one of the warring factions in July, denounces external intervention in form of weapons supplies and foreign fighters
LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s deputy foreign minister, Waleed Al-Khuraiji, on Wednesday stressed the important need to maintain the territorial integrity of Sudan.
Speaking at the fifth Sudan peace coordination meeting in Cairo, he said a political solution to the civil war that began in April 2023 must be based on respect for Sudanese sovereignty and unity.
He highlighted the efforts the Kingdom is making in an attempt to ensure stability in Sudan, help reach a ceasefire agreement that ends the conflict, prevent the collapse of state institutions, and maintain the unity, territorial integrity and capabilities of the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Khuraiji also said that Saudi efforts to address the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by the war are continuing, in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.
It is important that the conflicting factions return to political dialogue, he added, as stated in the Jeddah Declaration of May 2023 and the short-term ceasefire deal that was agreed that same month.
The war in Sudan, between rival military factions the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, poses a threat to regional stability, Al-Khuraiji warned.
He rejected the quasi-government formed by the Rapid Support Forces in July last year as an obstruction to ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis, a threat to the unity and sovereignty of Sudan, and a risk to regional security and the safety of the Red Sea.
“The announcement of parallel entities outside the framework of legitimate institutions is worrying and disrupts efforts through the political track to solve the crisis,” he said.
The prevention of external intervention in the conflict, including illegal support in the form of weapon supplies and foreign fighters, is crucial for efforts to achieve a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian operations, Al-Khuraiji added.
He also called for the establishment of safe corridors so that deliveries of aid can reach those in need, similar to a mechanism established in August last year at the Adre crossing on Sudan’s border with Chad.
