On Monday, Saudi-led Arab Coalition officials announced that air systems had intercepted and destroyed two explosive-laden drones launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi group from Yemen. According to the statement by the coalition, the attacks targeted Khamis Mushait, the southwestern city of Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Sare’e, affirmed the attacks. Speaking to the Houthi-run news agency on Monday, Sare’e stated that forces affiliated with the group launched five ballistic missiles and five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a combined operation towards Saudi soil.
Stressing that the attacks had been carried out over the previous 24 hours, the Houthi spokesperson said that they targeted military posts in Abha International Airport and King Khalid Air Base, located in Khamis Mushait. The attacks successfully hit the targets, he added. The Coalition refused Sare’e’s allegations.
In the statement, the Coalition said, “the efficiency of the air defenses thwarted all hostile attempts toward Saudi Arabia.”
It is seen that the Houthi offensive towards Saudi territory has intensified in recent times. The attacks coincided with the US and the UN’s efforts to establish a nationwide ceasefire in the war-torn country. The US Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, has frequently reiterated his call for parties to declare a truce to provide a suitable ground for political negotiations to resolve the over 6-year conflict.
The Arab Coalition accuses Houthis of deliberately attacking civilians and civilian objects. It called the international community to take an urgent and absolute step to stop these iterative offenses of the Houthi group.
