Saudi Arabia intercepts 3 Houthi missiles over Najran

By Viola Famhy

RIYADH (AA) - Saudi Arabian air defense on Tuesday intercepted three missiles fired from Yemeni territory, according to Saudi media reports.

Ballistic missiles were fired by Yemen's Houthi rebel group and shot down above Najran region, Saudi news channel Al-Arabiya said without elaborating, citing unnamed sources.

Earlier Tuesday, the Houthi group said in a statement it fired a batch of ballistic missiles targeting Najran Airport.

Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthi group overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen and supporting the country’s pro-Saudi government.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the raging conflict since 2016, according to UN estimates.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat