RIYADH: Saudi air defense forces intercepted a weaponized drone launched by Houthi terrorists toward Jazan, the coalition supporting Yemen’s legitimate government said on Wednesday.
Coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki condemned the terrorist act, saying it coincided with UN envoy Martin Griffiths’ visit to Sanaa, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Houthis are persistent in attempting to target civilian infrastructure, “proving their criminality and extremist ideology against the Yemeni people and neighboring countries,” he said.
On Tuesday, the coalition forces shot down three drones that were heading for southern Saudi Arabia and the cities of Jazan and Abha, according to reports. The drones were intercepted in Yemeni airspace.
On Monday, the coalition forces intercepted and shot down two unmanned drones launched from Sanaa toward civilians and civilian targets in southern Saudi Arabia.
BACKGROUND
Repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have been reported since the Kingdom led a coalition intervention in March 2015 to restore the UN-backed Yemeni government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which the militia had ousted.
Al-Maliki said that these frequent attacks are systematically targeting civilians, in a clear and explicit violation of international humanitarian law.
He said that the coalition will continue to carry out deterrent measures to neutralize Houthi capabilities, in strict accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
On July 2, an attack on the airport left nine civilians wounded.
A missile attack on June 12 on Abha airport wounded 26 civilians, drawing retaliatory strikes by the coalition on Houthi positions.
Another attack on June 23 on the same airport killed a Syrian national and wounded 21 other civilians, according to the coalition.