Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missile over Najran

By Viola Famhy

RIYADH (AA) - Saudi Arabian air defense on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemeni territory, according to local media reports.

Citing unnamed sources, Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya said the missile aimed at targeting the southern Najran region was fired by Yemen's Houthi rebel group, without giving further details.

Meanwhile, Col. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab coalition, said the coalition shot down a missile fired by the Houthis from the Yemeni province of Amran towards Najran.

He added that the missile has fallen in Yemen's Saada province.

For its part, the Houthi group said in a Friday statement it fired a ballistic missile targeting Najran Airport.

Yahia Sarie, a spokesman for the rebel group, said the missile "hit its target with high accuracy."

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