Saudi-led coalition downs Yemeni rebel drone

By Mustafa M. M. Haboush and Hamdi Yildiz

YEMEN (AA) - Saudi-led Arab coalition forces said Saturday it destroyed an explosive-laden drone sent by Houthis in Yemen to Saudi Arabian territory.

Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the drone was shot down above Yemen and that drones systematically and purposefully target civilian settlements in Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi SPA news agency.

No statement has been made by the Houthis about the incident.

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 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 Burak Dag