Saudi Arabia intercepts 4 ballistic missiles from Yemen

By Ali Owaida

MARIB, Yemen (AA) – Saudi air defenses shot down four ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition said Tuesday.

The missiles were fired toward the south-western cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha, but were intercepted by Saudi air defenses, the coalition said in a statement cited by the official SPA news agency.

No damage was reported.

According to the statement, coalition warplanes fired back at the source of fire inside Yemen.

The Houthis, for their part, said its forces had fired three missiles on a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait.

The Saudi-led coalition accuses Iran of providing weapons to the Houthis and allied forces of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a claim denied by Tehran.

Yemen fell into civil war in 2014, when Houthi rebels and allied forces overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched an extensive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.