A Saudi soldier has been killed in a firefight on the border with Yemen, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

A border guard post in Jazan province came under heavy fire by the Houthi insurgents in Yemen at 6:30 am on Wednesday, the security spokesman for the ministry said.

The army intervened to back up the border guards and one soldier was killed.

“The Saudi army dealt with the situation as required to retaliate to the source of fire and keep the situation under control with a support from ground forces,” the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

“The exchange of fire resulted in the martyrdom of the Border Guard Corporal, Mohammed Musa Hassan Maher.”

On Monday, the Saudi-led coalition said two Saudi sailors had been killed in a Houthi “suicide” boat strike on a frigate patrolling off the coast.

The insurgents said they hit the ship with a guided missile.

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