Saudi Arabia downs Houthi drone

By Hussein Mahmoud Ragab Elkabany and Hamdi Yildiz

RIYADH (AA) - Saudi Arabia announced the downing of a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels toward a residential area, local sources said Wednesday.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that Arab coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the country’s air defense forces intercepted the drone in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait.

The Saudi-led coalition also confirmed a missile attack on June 12 by Houthis on Abha International Airport which injured 26 civilians.

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.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar