Saudi-led coalition in Yemen shoots down Houthi drone

By Gulsen Topcu

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - An explosives-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement was shot down by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Friday.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen intercepted and destroyed an UAV drone that was launched by Houthi rebels towards the kingdom.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said in a statement that the UAV was deliberately sent to target civilians and residential areas in the south of the country, but there was no information on which city in Yemen the UAV was launched from and where it came down in the south.

The Houthi rebels made no statement on the issue.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation.