Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel attacks from Yemen

SANAA, Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Monday it had intercepted and destroyed three explosive-laden drones and two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.

A coalition statement cited by the official Saudi news agency SPA said the drone and missile attacks targeted Najran city in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

"The Houthi terrorist militia continues to commit grave violations of the international humanitarian law by targeting civilians and civilian areas,” the statement said.

Rebel spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the attacks, saying they targeted military sites at the Najran Airport and King Khalid Airbase in Khamis Mushait southwest of Saudi Arabia.

Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, regularly announce rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition’s assault on Yemen.

Yemen has been wracked by violence and instability since 2014, when Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises with nearly 80% or about 30 million of its people needing humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million in danger of starving to death.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara