Saudi-led coalition destroys Houthi drone from Yemen

By Alaa Abu al-Enein

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AA) - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.

A brief statement said the coalition air defenses shot down an unmanned explosive-laden drone fired towards the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, according to the official Saudi news agency SPA.

The coalition “is taking operational procedures to protect civilians and civilian areas in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the statement said.

Rebel spokesman Yaha Saree, for his part, said the drone attack targeted the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, saying the attack was “part of the legitimate response to the continued aggression and blockade on Yemen.”

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

On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition announced intercepting an explosives-laden drone fired by Houthis towards Khamis Mushait.

Yemen has been wracked by violence and instability since 2014, when Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises with nearly 80% or about 30 million of its people needing humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million in danger of starving to death.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara