Saudi Tornado and F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopters Sunday bombed areas along the border with Yemen suspected of harboring armed infiltrators on the foot of Mount Dokhan and Al-Rumaih, destroying a number of hidden Katyusha rocket launchers, military sources said. Over the past few days, Saudi forces have arrested over 170 infiltrators with arms in their possession around the Bani Malik mountainous areas, the sources said. It was, however, undisclosed what type of arms they were arrested with. Intensive airstrikes have driven infiltrators back to the Yemeni border, military sources said. Recently-arrived Piranha armored vehicles have detected infiltrator movements in the rugged areas, making them more vulnerable as they come out of their mountain caves. “The number of detected infiltrators has increased especially at night when they usually attack and hide,” the sources said, leading to more arrests as Saudi forces continue combing suspected areas. An undisclosed number of infiltrators have surrendered following recent fierce clashes with Saudi forces along the border, the sources said. Meanwhile, checkpoints have been increased around evacuee camps after fears of infiltrator attacks on them. Media reports Sunday said Saudi forces foiled attempts by the infiltrators to gain control of Yemen's Red Sea port of Midi, in a coastal area near the border where Saudi Arabia has imposed a naval blockade to stop weapons being smuggled to infiltrators. Regional media reported on Sunday that the rebels launched hit-and-run attacks against advancing Yemeni troops. Yemeni forces backed by artillery and tanks combed mountain regions in the north of the country, killing a number of rebels, Al Arabiya television reported. On Friday, Yemeni state media said troops foiled an attempt by rebel fighters to take over government buildings in the northern provincial capital of Saada.
