Saudi coalition destroys explosive UAV launched by Al Houthis

Cairo: A Saudi-led coalition, fighting Iran-aligned Al Houthi rebels, destroyed a bomb-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targeting the kingdom today, the second such bid over the past 24 hours.

The coalition’s spokesman Col Turki Al Malki said the coalition forces on Friday morning intercepted and destroyed an explosive UAV launched by Al Houthis in the direction of the Saudi southern region, the Saudi news agency SPA reported.

“It was a systematic and deliberate way targeting civil facilities and civilians,” he added.

Al Maliki said Thursday night that the coalition forces had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by Al Houthis in the direction of the kingdom’s southern region of Najran.

In recent months, Al Houthis have fired dozens of missiles and explosive drones towards neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Al Houthis plunged Yemen into a civil war in late 2014 when they toppled the internationally recognised government and overran parts of the country including the capital Sana’a.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and the UAE initiated a military campaign in Yemen against Al Houthis in response to a request from the government there.