Saudi forces intercept and destroy another missile fired from Yemen

Saudi air defence forces intercepted and destroyed another ballistic missile fired from Yemen by Houthis on Tuesday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The kingdom has been seeing a spate of missile attacks in recent months as the Saudi-led coalition increases its offensive in Yemen.

Colonel Turki Al-Malki, the official spokesman of the Coalition, stated that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted the missile at 2.40pm on Tuesday.

The missile, which was targeting the governorate of Al-Shuqaiq, was “deliberately launched to target civilian and populated areas”, he said.

No injuries were reported.

“This hostile act by the Houthi terrorist militia proves that the Iranian regime continued involvement in supporting the Houthi militia with qualitative capabilities in clear and explicit defiance of UN resolution 2216 and resolution 2231,” Al-Malki stated.

He added that the firing of ballistic missiles at populated cities and villages is contrary to both international law and international humanitarian law.

Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly targeted by missiles since 2015, when it entered Yemen’s civil war through an Arab coalition backing forces loyal to ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Houthis.

Earlier this week, Al-Malki said that Houthis had launched 158 missiles and 42,924 projectiles since the start of the war.

While the majority of the attacks have been intercepted by air defences, a missile that struck Jazan last week left a five year old boy injured.

Read: Five-year-old injured by missile in Saudi’s Jazan

Some attacks have also resulted in deaths, including three civilians killed in Jazan on June 9.

Read: Three civilians killed in missile attack in Saudi’s Jazan