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Yemen: Fourth Bahraini officer dies following Houthi attack

A drone attack on Monday blamed on Houthi rebels killed and wounded a number of Bahraini soldiers near the Yemeni border in Saudi Arabia
Bodies of two Bahrain Defence Force officers, killed in a Houthi drone attack against forces of the Saudi-led coalition on the Saudi-Yemeni border, arrive at Bahrain Royal Air Force Base in Jaw (Reuters)

A fourth Bahraini man has died following an attack by Houthi rebels in Saudi Arabia, on the border with Yemen, a spokesperson for the Bahraini army said.

The suspected drone attack on Monday came a week after ceasefire talks were held between the Yemeni group and Saudi Arabia

According to the Bahraini army, three officers were initially killed in the drone attack while they were stationed inside Saudi Arabia along the border with Yemen.

On Friday, a fourth officer, First Lieutenant Hamad Khalifa al-Kubaisi, "succumbed to serious injuries as a result of the treacherous Houthi attack", the Bahraini army said.

The Houthi movement said on Tuesday that violations of a truce between them and the Saudi-led coalition have not stopped despite recent peace talks.

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The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led military intervention, which included Bahrain, began in 2015, intending to restore the internationally recognised government. 

Fighting has dragged on since, without a decisive military victory for either side, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and a major humanitarian crisis. 

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After the UN brokered a ceasefire in April 2022, hostilities and casualties were drastically reduced. The truce expired in October, but fighting has largely remained on hold since then. 

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia launched diplomatic efforts to reach a permanent end to the conflict with the Houthis.

The two sides held talks in April which were followed by a major prisoner exchange involving almost 900 detainees. 

Last week, a delegation from the Houthi movement travelled to Saudi Arabia to resume direct talks. After five days of discussions, Saudi Arabia said the results were "positive". 

According to analysts, the talks come as it appears Riyadh has realised its prolonged military campaign will not bring about the defeat of the Houthis. 

It also follows an agreement earlier this year by Saudi Arabia and Iran, which backs the Houthis, to re-establish diplomatic ties.

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