Abu Dhabi: The Arab Coalition said it has intercepted and destroyed, in the span of a few hours, a ballistic missile attack by the Iran-backed Al Houthi militia targeting Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, and destroyed six explosive-laden drones targeting southern Saudi cities overnight.
The latest attack on Riyadh comes just hours after the Arab Coalition said on Saturday it intercepted and downed an explosive-laden drone launched by the Al Houthis towards Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait.
Follwing the attempted attack on Riyadh, the Arab Coalition also confirmed that it was monitoring the launching of a number of explosive drones by the Al Houthis in Yemen on Saturday night and that it had intercepted and destroyed one targeting Jazan and at least four others targeting the Kingdom’s southern cities.
Civilian areas
The coalition had announced on Friday night that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis was targeting civilian areas in the southern regions of Saudi Arabia.
The terrorist Al Houthi militia group has been ramping up its efforts to strike Saudi Arabia and several areas in Yemen outside its control.
The Al Houthi attacks on Saturday came as Saudi Arabia was hosting the Formula E championship on the outskirts of Riyadh in the Diriyah district, which was attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“The Houthi attack is linked to the dictates of Iran’s generals,” Brigadier Turki Al Maliki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, told Al Arabiya TV, adding that “Iran’s generals control the militias in occupied Sana’a.”
He stressed that “the coalition has the capabilities to deal with threats that target civilians,” considering that they are a “red line if they are exposed to any harm.”
He continued, “We have competence in monitoring ballistic missiles and drones upon launch.”
Al Maliki added, “Our defenses have so far intercepted 526 drones and 346 ballistic missiles, and no country in the world has been able to intercept this number of ballistic missiles and drones.”
He revealed that “the Al Houthis suffered more than 3,000 deaths in their attack on Ma’rib.”
Arab condemnations
The Secretary of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Al Hajraf, condemned the Al Houthis’ targeting of Riyadh with a ballistic attack, and a number of drones towards Khamis Mushait and Jizan.
Al Hajraf said, “The continuation of these terrorist attacks by the Al Houthi group reflects its blatant defiance of the international community and its disregard for all international laws and norms.”
He urged “the international community to take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these repeated actions that target vital and civilian installations and the security and stability of the Kingdom.”
Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen also condemned targeting Saudi Arabia with a ballistic missile and booby-trapped drones.
