Saudi-led coalition strikes Houthi positions in Yemen

By Murad al-Arifi

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition on Friday targeted positions held by Houthi rebels in Yemen's city of Dhamar after the Houthis fired a missile one day earlier into Saudi territory, according to a well-informed local source.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency anonymously due to security concerns, the source said coalition warplanes had targeted two Houthi military sites in Dhamar, which is located roughly 110 kilometers (68.6 miles) south of capital Sanaa.

According to the source, one of the air raids targeted the Sama Camp on Dhamar's eastern outskirts.

The same source reported hearing extremely loud explosions that caused windows in the area to shatter.

The series of air raids comes one day after the Houthis reportedly launched a "ballistic missile" at a military installation in Saudi Arabia's southern city of Najran near the Saudi-Yemeni border.

Last week, the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted a missile also fired at Najran from inside Yemeni territory.

On Wednesday, a coalition spokesman announced that a total of 87 missiles had been launched into Saudi territory from Yemen since the conflict in that country began more than three years ago.

Yemen has been riddled with war and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa.

One year later, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Shia group of serving as an Iranian proxy -- began a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi military gains in Yemen.