Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Two more Saudi soldiers have been killed on the border with Yemen, the Interior Ministry announced on Friday. “Two soldiers from the Border Guards were martyred during an exchange of fire at a border point in Asir region,” said the ministry's spokesman. “They were subject to heavy fire from a mountainous region inside the Yemeni border, which made it necessary to respond in the same manner. The situation was controlled with support from the ground forces,” the spokesman said. The deaths come a day after the ministry announced the first Saudi casualty — a soldier shot from the Yemeni side of the border in the same area — since a coalition led by Riyadh launched airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen on March 26. Saudi Arabia has 150,000 troops and 100 warplanes assigned to the Yemen operation, according to a Saudi adviser, but it has no plan for now to send ground forces into the neighboring country. Meanwhile, a soldier was shot dead by mistake while he was guarding the terrestrial borders on Friday. The victim's father Abdullah Al-Sairi said even though he is devastated by the death of his son Mutib Al-Sairi, he is proud his son died in defense of his country. He added that his son, a father of a boy and a girl, is a martyr. The victim called his father Thursday night telling him that he was in good health. That was his last phone call.
