Saudi Arabia Says Troops Take Back Land From Yemeni Rebels

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry says its forces have regained control of a mountain on the border with Yemen.

Assistant Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan told the Saudi Press Agency Sunday that the situation is calm at Mount Dokhan, after Saudi forces bombarded Shi'ite rebels based in Yemen for a fifth consecutive day.

He said three Saudi soldiers were killed and four others are missing after days of fighting on the country's southeastern border.

The Saudi government says it is attacking rebels who have infiltrated its territory, but residents along the border say the military action has reached into northern Yemen.

Meanwhile, Yemen has reported that one of its fighter planes went down in a rebel stronghold in the country's north. The government says the plane crashed due to "mechanical problems," while rebels say they shot down the aircraft.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh made no mention of Saudi Arabia when he addressed the fighting Saturday.

In a speech inaugurating Yemen's first gas plant, he called the Zaidi rebels "traitors" and said the battle against them would not stop until they are wiped out.

The Shi'ite Zaidi rebels have been in conflict with Yemen's government for five years, but the fighting has flared significantly in the past few months.

The rebels, also known as al-Houthis, say the central government is not taking care of their communities' needs.


Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.