Saudi forces intercept and destroy missile targeting Najran

Saudi air forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards the city of Najran on Wednesday, in the second such attack on the kingdom this week.

The missile, fired from Yemen’s Sa’ada governorate, was detected by the Royal Saudi Air Defence at 10:15am, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Colonel Turki Al-Malki, the official spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, said that the missile was launched “deliberately to target densely populated areas”.

No injuries were reported.

“This hostile action by terrorist Al-Houthi militias proves the continuing involvement of the Iranian regime in supporting Al-Houthi armed militias with qualitative capabilities in a clear and explicit defiance for the violation of United Nations resolutions (2216 and 2231),” said Al Malki.

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.

On Sunday, Saudi air forces intercepted and destroyed another missile fired from Yemen.

Last week, Al-Malki said that the 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 earlier this month 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