Helicopter Gunships in Action on Saudi-Yemen Border: Coalition

The Arab coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen said Sunday it has deployed helicopter gunships after cross-border attacks that killed Saudi soldiers.

"We have dealt with the situation with artillery, with Apache (helicopter) fighters," said Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition.

The gunships took action after Huthi militia from Yemen on Friday targeted a border post in the Najran region of southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Three Saudi army soldiers died in a rebel mortar strike during an exchange of fire, the defence ministry announced earlier.

They were the first army soldiers to die since March 26 when the coalition began air strikes against the Huthis, who overran Sanaa in September and have expanded to other parts of Yemen.

Riyadh feared the rebels would take over the entire country and move it into the orbit of Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's regional rival.

Earlier in the coalition's campaign three Saudi border guards were killed by gunfire from the Yemeni side of the frontier.

"We will not allow any of these militia to harm our borders," Assiri said.

AFP reporters saw Saudi tanks, artillery and armoured personnel carriers stationed near the southwestern frontier last week.