Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen

By Aziz al-Ahmadi

SANAA (AA) – The Saudi-led coalition on Sunday intercepted an explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels from Yemen toward Saudi Arabia.

Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the rebel drone was fired towards civilian areas in southern Saudi Arabia, according to the official Saudi news agency SPA.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the report.

On Saturday, the Houthi group said it had fired three drones towards the Jizan and Abha airports and the Khamis Mushait base.

The Houthi group regularly announces rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition’s attacks in Yemen.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara