RIYADH: Cross-border shelling from war-torn Yemen killed four people in Saudi Arabia on Monday, authorities in the kingdom said.

Three others were wounded and hospitalised after the incident in the Jazan region, the civil defence agency said on Twitter without giving details.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against Iran-backed rebels since March last year.

The rebels have in recent days intensified cross-border attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough.

Border clashes left a Saudi army officer and six soldiers dead on Saturday.

On July 25, five Saudi border guards were killed in similar clashes.

Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed in skirmishes, by artillery fire or landmines inside the kingdom's borders since the coalition launched its campaign.

In Yemen itself, the conflict has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year, according to UN figures.

Yemen govt delegation quits talks

Yemen's government delegation to peace talks has decided to leave Kuwait on Monday after the rebel side rejected a draft peace plan proposed by the United Nations, a spokesman said.

“We are leaving today after having completed our part in the talks,” spokesman Mohammed al-Emrani told AFP.

“The ball is now in the rebels' court,” he said.

The delegation is returning to Riyadh after informing UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed that it was ready to sign the proposed peace plan which the rebels rejected, Emrani said.

The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's loyalists, rejected the peace plan on Sunday, saying it was incomplete.

“The other party now has the key to make the talks fail or succeed... If they agree to the plan, our delegation will return,” Emrani said.

The government delegation's decision to leave host country Kuwait came after a meeting with Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

Opinion

Editorial

Last call
Updated 15 Nov, 2024

Last call

PTI should hardly be turning its "final" protest into a "do or die" occasion.
Mini budget talk
15 Nov, 2024

Mini budget talk

NO matter how much Pakistan’s finance managers try to downplay the prospect of a ‘mini budget’ to pull off a...
Diabetes challenge
15 Nov, 2024

Diabetes challenge

AMONGST the many public health challenges confronting Pakistan, diabetes arguably does not get the attention it...
China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...