Khartoum denies death of Sudanese soldiers in Yemen

A number of Gulf, Yemeni and Sudanese soldiers were reportedly killed in the Yemen province of Taez. Khartoum denied the death or injury of any of its soldiers in the missile attack.

The troops, among them a Saudi military commander and an Emirati officer, appear to have been killed by a missile fired by Houthi rebels, the BBC reported on Monday.

Rebel and government sources said the attack, in the province of Taez, left dozens of coalition troops dead.

Forces of a Saudi-led coalition are fighting the Shiite insurgents in an attempt to restore the Yemeni government. The incident came ahead of UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland on Tuesday.

'Propaganda'

The spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Ahmed Khalifa El Shami, told Sudan Tribune on Monday that news circulating on Houthi media outlets about the death and injury of Sudanese soldiers is nothing but “propaganda” intended to undermine the morale of the troops.

He acknowledged that a Katyusha rocket launched by the Houthi rebels targeted the Arab coalition troops near Taez, and mourned the death of Saudi and Emirati officers in the attack.

Cooperation

Sudan, together with eight other countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, and Egypt, joined the Saudi campaign against Houthi strongholds in Sanaa on 26 March by sending fighter jets.

The decision to participate in the campaign was based on “the historical close ties” between Sudan and Saudi Arabia, and “the danger that threatens all of the region and Saudi Arabia specifically”, Ali Karti, then Foreign Affairs Minister, told Sudan News Agency.

Analysts said at the time that Sudan’s involvement in Yemen showed a shift of allegiances from Shiite Iran toward the Sunni Gulf Arab countries, which could bring economic rewards.

Since the operation in Yemen began, El Riyadh has pledged fresh investments in Sudan’s agricultural sector. In July and August, the Central Bank of Sudan reportedly received a total of $1 billion from Saudi Arabia. According to Khartoum, the economic assistance is not linked to its military support.

In October, Sudan sent hundreds of ground troops to Yemen.