Saudi air defence forces on Monday intercepted two drones launched by Houthi rebels from neighbouring Yemen, state media reported, as the Iran-aligned group steps up attacks on the kingdom.
The drones targeted Khamis Mushait in the kingdom’s south and caused no damage or casualties, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said in a brief statement released early on Tuesday by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The rebels, who control large parts of the country including the capital Sanaa, said earlier via their news outlet Al-Masirah that they had targeted the King Khalid airbase near Khamis Mushait.
The attacks come as SPA reported the coalition was intensifying air raids on Houthi positions in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah.
The rebels have stepped up drone and missile attacks on the kingdom amid tensions between Shia power Iran and the United States, Saudi Arabia’s main ally.
Worst humanitarian crisis
Last month, the Saudi air force shot down a bomb-laden drone deployed by Houthi rebels that targeted Jizan airport, close to the southern border with Yemen, the coalition said.
The airport is used by thousands of civilians every day, but the coalition reported no casualties and warned the rebels of a strong response.
Last month Houthi military spokesperson claimed responsibility for drone attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia [Reuters]
Two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia were targeted by Houthi drones in May causing minor supply disruptions highlighting an apparent significant leap in the drone capabilities of the the Houthis.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who was forced out of power by the Houthis.
Since then, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say.
It has triggered what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million – more than two-thirds of the population – in need of aid.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
