RIYADH — Two Saudi soldiers were killed and five wounded in fighting with Yemeni rebel "infiltrators" on the Saudi-Yemen border, the

As Saudi forces stepped up efforts to contain the rebellion, the Saudi navy has in the past two days seized five ships bringing in more infiltrators, according to the Pan-Arab daily

Riyadh said its forces captured and killed numerous Yemeni rebels, but it has not been possible to confirm these statements. The rebels say Saudi Arabia is continuing to shell Houthi positions with heavy artillery and has sent paratroopers and special forces to search the border area for rebel forces.

Following the capture of the five ships that contained no weapons, Saudi naval forces will continue operations "to protect the area" from Saudi Arabia "up to Bab al-Mandeb," a strategic area off the far southern coast of Yemen, between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Saudi forces have been shelling and bombing rebel positions in the 2,000-metre high Jebel al-Dukhan mountain area straddling the border since Nov. 4, after rebels killed a border guard and occupied two small villages inside Saudi territory the previous day.

Riyadh says the air strikes and shellings will continue until the rebels withdraw tens of kilometres from the Saudi-Yemeni border.

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