Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen

By Ibrahim Ramadan and Mehmet Nuri Ucar

RIYADH (AA) - An explosives-laden drone fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels toward Saudi Arabia was intercepted, the Saudi-led coalition said Friday.

Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the missile was fired toward Najran in southern Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi SPA news agency.

He said Houthis continue to violate human rights by deliberately targeting civilian settlements with explosives-laden drones.

No statement has been made by the Houthis.

The Houthis regularly fire ballistic missiles and drones toward Saudi areas in response to coalition airstrikes on areas held by the rebels.

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 a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar