The Kingdom of Morocco strongly condemned a deadly terrorist attack early Monday by Yemeni Houthi rebels on Bahraini military forces patrolling the southern border of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which killed an officer and injured several other Bahraini soldiers, said the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Morocco expressed its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain ready to stand by its side to confront this cowardly act of terrorism on its troops participating in Operation Decisive Storm and Restore Hope.
The Foreign Ministry sent the Kingdom’s condolences to the Kingdom of Bahrain and to the families of the victims, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
The state-run Bahrain News Agency published a statement issued by the military. “This terrorist attack was carried out by the Houthis, who sent aircraft targeting the position of the Bahraini guards on the southern border of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia despite the halt of military operations between the warring sides in Yemen,” reported AP.
The Houthis did not immediately admit to carrying out the attack, as negotiations between Riyadh and the rebels continued as part of the supposed cease fire.
The bodies of the soldiers have been returned to Bahrain, where they were received by an honor guard and top military authorities.
Bahrain is a staunch ally of Saudi Arabia, which has led an eight-year war against the Shiite Houthis, causing the “World’s worst humanitarian crisis,” according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The most devastating attack by the Houthis on Bahraini troops was a missile strike near Marib in September 2015, which killed five of Bahrain’s soldiers as well as 52 Emirati and 10 Saudi troops.
Yemen’s war began in 2014, when the Houthis pushed down from their northern stronghold and took the capital, Sanaa, as well as much of the country’s north. A Saudi-led coalition of nine Arab countries intervened in 2015 seeking to restore the internationally recognized government to power.