Saudi forces destroy four armed drones launched from Yemen targeting ‘civilians’

Saudi forces destroyed four ‘bomb laden’ drones launched from Yemen on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The UAVs were launched “systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in the southern region”, the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki said.

While one drone was intercepted early in the morning, three others were destroyed on Sunday evening, SPA stated.

The coalition will “continue to undertake all necessary procedures to neutralise and destroy the advanced conventional weapons capabilities of the terrorist militia in accordance with the customary international humanitarian law”. Al Malki stated.

The secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen strongly condemned the attacks.

In a statement, he said that the OIC supports “all measures taken by the coalition forces to deal with the hostile actions of the terrorist Houthi militia”.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf also condemned the attacks and said “the repetition of such terrorist attempts carried out by the Houthi militias reflects a flagrant challenge to the world community and disrespect to all international laws and norms, a matter that necessitates that the world community should take an immediate and firm position to stop such repeated terrorist acts targeting vital and civilian facilities”.

The kingdom has seen an increasing number of attacks from Yemen in recent months.

Late last month, Saudi Arabia said it had “intercepted and destroyed a hostile air target going towards Riyadh”. According to media reports, a loud explosion was heard over the central part of the city and white smoke was visible.

“We are gathering more information, but it appears to have been an attempt to target civilians,” the US State Department said at the time.

Read: US, UK condemn air attack on Riyadh which ‘targeted civilians’

In November last year, a fuel tank at a petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah burst into flames, following an explosion caused by a projectile attack.

Read: Saudi oil facility hit by Houthi projectile attack