Two Saudi soldiers killed in attack at Al-Wadiah border crossing

HADRAMOUT, Sept. 03 (YPA) – Saudi authorities fully closed the Al-Wadiah border crossing in northern Hadhramaut on Wednesday following a deadly attack that killed two Saudi soldiers and left several others wounded, local sources reported.

According to local and media reports, the attack stemmed from a dispute between Saudi soldiers and Yemeni recruits serving in Saudi-backed factions. The attack left two Saudi troops dead and several others wounded, though an official casualty count has not yet been released.

The sources said the gunmen, armed with automatic rifles, fled into the desert following the attack. Saudi authorities at the crossing have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggested that the attack was carried out in retaliation for Monday’s killing of ISIS spokesperson Abu Hudhayfah al-Ansari in Seiyun, following financial disputes with the Saudi military command there.

Other sources attributed the attack to growing tribal anger over the nine-month detention in Riyadh of Sheikh Amr bin Habrish al-Aliyi, head of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance.

Saudi authorities have rejected appeals from Hadramout tribes to release al-Aliyi, who was detained along with his companions at the Al-Wadiah crossing last month while attempting to return to Hadramout. His wife and children were subsequently prevented from leaving Saudi Arabia through Jeddah airport aboard Yemenia Airlines.

Following the assault, Saudi-backed “Emergency” and “Dera Al-Watan” Forces deployed heavily along the crossing and the Al-Abr road, bringing traffic to a standstill and leaving hundreds of vehicles carrying Yemeni travelers bound for Saudi Arabia stranded.

@E.Y.M