Saudi intercepts ballistic missile from Yemen

By Zakaria al-Kamali

SANAA (AA) – Saudi air defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels into southern Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition said Monday.

In a statement cited by the official SPA news agency, the coalition said the missile – which was aimed at the southern city of Khamees Mushait – was shot down before it could cause any damage.

According to the statement, Saudi forces bombed the launch site in response to the missile attack.

The Houthis, for their part, said the missile targeted Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Air Base and that it had hit its target, according to the Houthis-run Saba news agency.

Yemen has been racked by chaos since late 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, forcing President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and his Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.

The conflict escalated in March of last year when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and restoring Hadi’s government.