Saudi-led coalition downs rebel drone from Yemen

By Zeynep Tufekci Gulay

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AA) - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Tuesday it had shot down an explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels towards southwestern Saudi Arabia.

The coalition said in a statement that it had destroyed the drone fired by the insurgents towards Khamis Mushait province.

A Houthi ballistic missile bunker and a launch pad in Yemen's Saada province were also destroyed, the statement added.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the statement.

Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels claimed Tuesday to have carried out a drone attack on King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait.

"The strike was accurate," rebel spokesman Yahya Sarei said, adding that the attack came in response to Saudi Arabia's continued blockade and attacks on Yemen.

The rebel movement regularly announces rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories.

Yemen has been wracked by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned 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.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz