Saudi Arabia has issued a call for the cessation of arms deliveries to Yemen's Houthi faction, also known as Ansar Allah. This request comes in the wake of an assault on Bahraini military forces stationed within Saudi Arabia.
"The kingdom has reaffirmed its unwavering support and solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain, its brotherly nation. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia has made a resounding call for an immediate halt to the continuous supply of weaponry to the Houthi militants, urging measures to prevent their export to Yemen and ensure strict adherence to United Nations resolutions," stated the Saudi Foreign Ministry in a released statement, which was shared on its social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). The ministry also extended its heartfelt condolences to Bahrain's leadership, citizens, and the affected families of the victims.
On September 25, the Defense Ministry of Bahrain confirmed that two of its servicemen were killed, and several others sustained injuries in an airstrike conducted by the Houthi rebels using a drone on Saudi Arabian territory near the border with Yemen. This attack targeted the coalition forces stationed in the area, opposing the Houthi movement Ansar Allah. In response, General Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the coalition, stated that the Houthis had attacked an electrical distribution station and a police station situated in a border region where Bahraini soldiers were stationed. He indicated that this attack occurred in August.
Between September 14 and 19, Riyadh hosted talks between a delegation representing Ansar Allah and Saudi officials. These negotiations included meetings between the Houthi representatives and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman Al Saud. According to sources cited by Reuters, the two sides made "some progress" in discussing critical issues related to the withdrawal of foreign forces from Yemen and the provision of social guarantees to the population residing in Houthi-controlled territories. Following the conclusion of these talks, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement commending "the results of important discussions aimed at developing a roadmap for the peace process in Yemen."
The conflict in Yemen has persisted since August 2014, with government forces clashing with supporters of Ansar Allah. The situation escalated significantly when a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in March 2015. In April 2022, the conflicting parties reached a ceasefire agreement, which subsequently expired on October 2.
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Based on materials from TASS