At just a stone’s throw away, you can see Yemen on the other side of the border facing the Shahdan Mountain in the Al-Dayer governorate. The Yemeni villagers whose homes are barely about 500 meters from the frontier look to the Border Guard for help. “Save us from the Houthis,” they tell the Saudi soldiers.
Col. Ibrahim Sharahili commander of Al-Dayer sector, confirms that elderss of some Yemeni tribes have sought protection.
The roar of fighter jets and the sound of cannon fire echo on Mount Shahdan, reminding one that it is a war zone. Nevertheless, the Border Guard soldiers are seen valiantly protecting the borders. “Our brave soldiers fearlessly repulse attacks and force the enemy to retreat,” says Sharahili.
Notwithstanding threat to life from the Houthis, the rough terrain itself poses a big challenge. After a half-hour trek, we found ourselves next to the brave armed men on full alert under the leadership of First Lt. Abdulilah Al-Mutairi.
Sharahili says that this is one of the most dangerous areas of Al-Dayir.
The Harfiya point looks porous but the Saudi solders won’t let anybody sneak in. Three children with donkeys were quickly spotted and detained by the soldiers as they tried to cross the border.
Suleiman, one of the boys, said, “We rent donkeys for SR150 to SR200 for one trip; we don’t indulge in smuggling.”
At another location we found ourselves next to Yemeni homes whose owners said they will “fight with full force” if Houthis attack them.
Al-Dayer is a mountain range in Jazan and covers 80 km on the patrol path, and more than 96 km through checkpoints.
However, Sharahili says, nobody is allowed to infiltrate.
‘Save us from Houthis’
‘Save us from Houthis’
