(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia’s air force attacked Shiite Muslim rebels in Yemen, the insurgents said, a move that threatened to draw the world’s largest oil exporter into its neighbor’s escalating conflict.

The bombing raids on the mountainous border between the two countries started yesterday and continued throughout today, rebel spokesman Muhammad Abdul-Salam said in a phone interview. Yemen’s defense ministry denied in an e-mailed statement any Saudi air strikes inside Yemeni territory. Saudi officials couldn’t immediately be contacted for comment.


The Houthi rebels two days ago attacked a border patrol inside the kingdom, killing a Saudi guard and wounding 11 others, according to Saudi officials. The Elaph news Web site said one of the wounded later died, without citing anyone.

Saudi Arabia has expressed concern that the conflict between Yemeni forces and the Houthi rebels in northwestern Yemen may spill over the border. Yemen, which has a majority Sunni Muslim population, accuses Shiite-led Iran, the main regional rival to Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, of arming the insurgents.

“The risk is that Saudi Arabia may be sucked into a prolonged conflict that will sap its energy and resources,” Theodore Karasik, director of research at the Dubai-based Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said today in a telephone interview.