Saudi Arabia says a soldier was killed near the country's southern border with Yemen, where the kingdom has been at war against Houthis for four and a half years.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported the death on Monday, providing his name and his rank as a sergeant, but did not disclose how he died or specifically where. The report said burial prayers were conducted in his hometown of Qilwa on Sunday.

This marks the first time in years that the kingdom has publicly announced the death of a Saudi soldier at the border.

The Iranian-allied Houthis have in the past claimed gains along the Saudi-Yemen border, but Saudi Arabia has never confirmed such reports and has not disclosed how many soldiers have been killed in the war.

-AP