Arab alliance destroys Al Houthi UAVs, missiles targeting Saudi Arabia
Surge in Yemeni rebels’ attacks despite peace efforts
Cairo: The Arab Saudi-led alliance said it intercepted and destroyed early Thursday eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and three ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s All Houthis towards Saudi Arabia amid an upsurge of the Iran-aligned rebels’ attacks.
The latest attack attempt was made on the first day of Eid Al Fitr.
“Al Houthi militia’s hostile acts did not observe religious rituals and violated international standards,” the coalition said, condemning “hostile attempts” targeting people and civilian facilities.
On Monday, the alliance said it had foiled an imminent Houthi attack by an explosives-rigged boat in the Red Sea and accused the rebels of jeopardising international navigation.
In recent months, Al Houthis have stepped up their cross-border attacks against the Saudi territory despite peace efforts to end a war of more than six years in Yemen.
In March, Saudi Arabia launched a peace initiative for Yemen, proposing a UN-overseen nationwide ceasefire in the country, the reopening of Sana’a airport in the Al Houthi-held capital, and restarting negotiations between the Saudi-backed government and the rebels. The Yemeni government welcomed the initiative, while Al Houthis rejected it.
Al Houthis plunged Yemen into a devastating war in late 2014 when they unseated the internationally recognised government and seized parts of the country, including Sana’a.