Third Bahraini soldier dies after ‘Houthi drone attack’ near Saudi border

The death toll for Bahraini soldiers killed in an attack blamed on Yemen’s Houthis has risen to three, Bahrain’s state news agency said.

Two Bahraini servicemen in Saudi Arabia were initially confirmed dead in Monday’s drone attack, before a third soldier succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, the Bahrain Defence Force said.

The attack took place as the soldiers were patrolling Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen.

“We mourn one of our men who was martyred today as a result of his serious injuries after the Houthi attack on the southern border of Saudi Arabia,” the Bahrain Defence Force said on Wednesday, announcing the death of the third soldier.

Bahrain’s state agency identified the soldier as First Warrant Officer Adam Salem Naseeb, and said he had “valiantly gave his life in the line of duty”.

There has been no comment from the Houthi rebel group on the incident.

Bahrain has demanded the Iran-aligned rebel group hand over those responsible for the attack, which came amid efforts to reach a deal between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

A Saudi-led coalition militarily intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support Yemeni government forces against the Houthis. Hundreds of thousands are believed to have been killed in the war, mostly from indirect causes, and 80 percent of the population are dependent on aid.

The drone attack represents a major escalation after more than a year of relative calm brokered by the United Nations in Yemen as peace efforts gain momentum.

Last week, a Houthi delegation concluded a visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh, after five days of talks with Saudi officials, following an official invitation sent by the kingdom.

It was the first such official visit to Saudi Arabia since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014, after the Houthis forced out a Saudi-backed government and captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

Some progress was made regarding two main conditions, including a timeline for foreign troops exiting Yemen and a mechanism for paying public wages, sources familiar with the meeting said.