Saudi Arabia Reportedly Concentrates Troops, Armor on Yemen Border

Saudi forces on Monday closed in on the border town of Najran, which once again came under Houthi rebel fire in what military officials in Riyadh vowed would “not pass unpunished”.

A video broadcast by the Saudi TV channel Al-Hadath on Monday showed a column of tanks and armored vehicles moving towards Najran, a Saudi town on the border with Yemen.

Last week the Shiite Houthi rebels repeatedly shelled the town with mortars, killing three people and injuring 37 in one such barrage on Tuesday.

On Sunday, the Houthis agreed to a Saudi-proposed five-day humanitarian truce from beginning Tuesday. The party of Yemen’s ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh also welcomed the offer.

On March 26, a Saudi-led coalition launched an aerial campaign to flush out the Houthi rebel groups in Yemen. Late last month the coalition launched a second operation aimed at restoring the political process in Yemen, fighting terrorism and driving out the Shiite Houthi militia.

According to the United Nations, at least 646 civilians have been killed and more than 1,364 civilians have been injured since the Saudi-led operation began in March.