Saudis crack down on their own mercenaries after protests about lack of payment

Saudis crack down on their own mercenaries after protests about lack of payment

Tensions between Saudi forces and Yemeni mercenaries on the Jizan front have escalated, informed sources said Tuesday.

The sources explained that clashes broke out between Yemeni soldiers and Saudi forces following demand for the payment of their salaries, which resulted in injuries nearby Haradh, in Jizan province.

The sources indicated that the protesting soldiers had detained a Saudi force, including the commander of the joint forces in Jizan, Saleh al-Nashmi, and the commander of the so-called Fifth Military Region, Yahya Salah.

Saudi forces pushed military reinforcements into the area in order to free the detainees, igniting clashes.

The protesters appealed to Hadi’s puppet government to intervene quickly to protect them after the Saudi army threatened to bomb them.

The tension and clashes came two days after the deadline for the payment expired, after salaries have been suspended for more than nine months, the sources said.

In recent weeks, Yemeni recruit camps in the kingdom’s southern border have witnessed sporadic protests, which have reached armed confrontations with the Saudi army.