Saudi Arabia says Houthi border offensive repelled

Saudi Arabia's army has repulsed an offensive by fighters allied to the Houthis and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Jizan province bordering Yemen, according to state media. Dozens of armed men, believed to belong to Republican Guard units loyal to Saleh, died in Friday's failed assault, which the Saudi security sources said was the biggest since the conflict in neighbouring Yemen began. The Saudi armed forces said four of their officers had died of injuries sustained during the attack. Friday's incident is believed to have started when Houthi forces and units of soldiers loyal to Saleh tried to infiltrate the border at Al Khouba. The fighters launched a number of rockets at Saudi military positions, before the Saudi army retaliated with artillery shelling and air support from Apache helicopter gunships. Houthi reinforcements on the Yemeni side of the border were also targeted during the retaliation.   Al Jazeera