Saudi intercepts Houthi drones targeted at ‘civilian objects’

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen intercepted and shot down a Houthi drone on Sunday morning, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The spokesperson for the coalition Colonel Turki Al-Maliki said it was launched from Sana’a towards “civilian objects” in Khamis Mushait.

The Houthis had earlier said they launched drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport and the air base of Khamis Mushait on Sunday, Al Masirah TV reported.

The coalition also intercepted and shot down drones launched by the Houthis targeting “civilian objects” in Khamis Mushait and Jizan on Saturday, SPA reported.

Al Maliki said all the attempts by the Houthis to launch drones towards Saudi are “doomed to fail” and that the coalition carries out the operational procedures required to deal with the aircraft to protect civilians.

Al-Maliki stressed that the Houthi attempts to target airports and civilians were in clear “violation of international humanitarian law”.

Saudi Arabia has been targeted by hundreds of missile and drone attacks since entering the Yemen civil war in 2015 to support ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Houthis.

The attacks against the kingdom have increased in recent months.

Earlier this month, Saudi forces intercepted drones heading towards “civilian airports” in the kingdom.

Read: Saudi forces intercept Houthi drones targeting two airports

Two unmanned drones launched by the Houthis towards Khamis Mushait city were also intercepted and shot down by Saudi forces last month.

The process of intercepting and shooting down the hostile aircraft caused the fall of shrapnel and debris, in a residential neighbourhood, resulting in minor damages of a residential building and some vehicles.

No casualties were reported.

In June, an attack on the Abha airport killed one person and wounded several others.

Read: One dead, 21 wounded in Houthi attack on Saudi airport