Arab coalition destroys Houthi drones targeting Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed several explosive-laden drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushayt on Thursday, Arab News reported.

The Arab coalition said the Iran-backed group continues to target civilians, which is tantamount to war crimes.

The Houthis launch the rigged drones towards the kingdom on a near-daily basis.

On Wednesday, the coalition targeted Houthi military positions in the southern Yemeni city of Taiz.

Videos on social media show balls of fire and smoke billowing from the targeted locations.

Last week, eight people were injured by falling debris after the coalition destroyed a missile and drones targeting Abha Airport in southern Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition, which seeks to restore the legitimacy of Yemen to the internationally-recognised government, after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

The kingdom has urged the group to engage faithfully in dialogue to bring the war to a peaceful resolution, but progress on that front has stalled and fighting has increased in some parts of Yemen.

Scores of fighters, both from the government and from the Houthis, have died in intense fighting in Marib, a resource-rich, government-controlled region coveted by the militia.