Five Bahraini soldiers killed in Saudi Arabia

Manama

The Kingdom of Bahrain has lost five of its soldiers in an attack that took place in southern Saudi Arabia, where they had been posted to help defend the border with neighbouring war-wracked Yemen.

The announcement was made by General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force yesterday. The deceased soldiers were identified as First Sergeant Mohammed Nabeel Hamad, Sergeant Mohammed Hafedh Younis, Sergeant Abdulqader Al Alas, Sergeant Hasan Iqbal Mohammed and Corporal Abdul Monem Ali Hussain.

The General Command also offered sincere condolences to the families and friends of the martyrs.

Bahrain is a member of a Saudi-led Arab coalition that, since March, has battled Shia Huthi rebels in Yemen to restore the rule of President Abed Rabbou Mansour Hadi, exiled in Riyadh.

The General Command said in a statement that the soldiers were killed “while defending the southern border of the Saudi Kingdom” but gave no details on the circumstances.

Yesterday, the UAE said 45 of its soldiers engaged in a Saudi-led campaign against Shia rebels in Yemen were killed in an accidental explosion that the insurgents claimed was caused by rocket fire.

The Yemeni government said an “accidental explosion” at an arms depot at a military base in the eastern province of Marib killed the Emiratis, but the rebels said their fighters fired a rocket that caused the blast.

Though the precise location of the attack against Bahrain soldiers is yet to be revealed, Yemen’s exiled presidency said they died in the same blast that killed the Emiratis, in what was the deadliest day for the coalition since it was formed in March.

Around 60 people, mainly military personnel, have been killed in cross-border rebel attacks in the south of Saudi Arabia since the launch of air strikes on the Huthis and their allies.