Bahrain F-16 Crashes in Saudi near Yemen Border as Rebels Fire Ballistic Missile

A Bahraini fighter jet taking part in the Saudi-led coalition battling rebel forces in Yemen crashed Wednesday in Saudi Arabia due to a "technical error," the alliance said.

The F-16 jet crashed in the kingdom's southwestern region of Jazan near the border with Yemen, the coalition said in a statement on the official SPA news agency.

The Bahrain Defense Force general command confirmed that the jet crashed "while carrying out its national duty in defending the southern borders" of Saudi Arabia.

The pilot was "saved and is in good health," it said, adding that the plane's wreckage had been found and that an investigation had been launched.

The crash comes a day after Bahrain said that three of its soldiers had died "in an incident" along the Saudi border with Yemen.

It did not say how or when they had died.

Eight Bahraini troops have been killed as part of the coalition, which was launched by Saudi Arabia in March to tackle Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen.

The Bahraini jet is the second coalition F-16 to crash after a Moroccan plane went down during a mission over Yemen in May.

Its pilot was later found dead and his body was returned home.

The coalition said that crash had been caused by a technical fault or human error, and it denied rebel claims that they downed the plane.

The rebel sabanews.net website said meanwhile that insurgents fired a "ballistic missile" early Wednesday on the southern Saudi port of Jizan, which they claimed "precisely hit its target."

But the coalition said that Saudi Arabia's defence forces safely intercepted the missile, destroying the warhead as well as its launcher in Yemen, according to a statement on SPA.

The rebels have intensified rocket attacks across the Saudi border during the past week, prompting the coalition to threaten severe reprisals.

The alliance has been backing forces loyal to Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognized government with air strikes, ground troops, and weaponry, in addition to training.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which play key roles in the coalition, have lost the most troops in the campaign. One Qatari soldier has also died.

More than 80 people, including civilians, have been killed on Saudi Arabia's southern front with Yemen since March.

Sudan has also deployed troops in Yemen while Kuwaiti media reported this week that the emirate has decided to send ground forces.