Saudi-led coalition says destroys 2nd rebel drone from Yemen in 24 hours

By Diana Shalhub

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Saturday it had intercepted and destroyed a second explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia in the past 24 hours.

A coalition statement cited by the official Saudi news agency SPA said the rebel drone targeted the city of Khamis Mushait, southwest of the kingdom.

The coalition said it has taken “operational measures to protect civilians and civilian facilities from [Houthi] assaults”, without explaining the nature of these measures.

On Friday, the coalition announced the interception of a Houthi booby-trapped drone fired towards southern Saudi territories.

The Houthis have yet to comment on the coalition's statement.

The rebel group, backed by Iran, regularly announces rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition’s assault on Yemen.

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.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict has claimed more than 233,000 lives.

*Ahmed Asmar in Ankara contributed to this report