Bahrain says two soldiers killed in Houthi drone attack

Two members of Bahrain’s army were killed and others were injured in a Houthi drone attack on Monday during a deployment in Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, the state news agency quoted the Bahraini army as saying.

There was no mention of any attack from the media and social media operations run by the Houthis, whose negotiators this month held talks with Saudi officials on a potential agreement paving the way to an end to the conflict in Yemen.

The Houthis have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and left 80% of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid.

“This terrorist attack was carried out by the Houthis drones on the positions of the Bahraini duty force stationed at the southern border on the territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite the cessation of military operations between the parties to the war in Yemen,” the Bahraini statement added.

Last week the Saudi government welcomed what it described as “positive results” from the first direct talks it had with the leading Houthi officials who spent five days in Riyadh.

The army statement said an officer and a soldier were killed and “a number” from the force were injured.

The U.S. embassy in Bahrain sent a message of condolence to the families of those killed and said it stood by its long-term ally.