Saudi Arabia says intercepts Houthi drone aimed at southern region

The Saudi-led military coalition engaged in Yemen said on Sunday it had intercepted a drone launched by the Houthi movement towards southern Saudi Arabia after the group claimed it had struck the kingdom’s Abha International Airport.

The coalition, in a statement carried by Saudi state media, said the attack was aimed at civilian targets but did not specify the sites or mention any damages.

In recent days the coalition had said it intercepted and destroyed several explosive-laden drones launched by the Houthis towards southern border areas.

The Western-backed coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Iran-aligned Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government from power in the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.

The United Nations is trying to secure a nationwide ceasefire to pave the way for reviving political negotiations to end the conflict, which is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system.