Saudi-led coalition downs rebel drone from Yemen

SANAA, Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Tuesday it had intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.

"Coalition forces managed to intercept and destroy an unmanned explosive-laden drone launched by the Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait area [in southern Saudi Arabia],” the coalition said in a statement.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the statement.

In the past week, the rebel group intensified attacks against the oil-rich kingdom.

On Sunday, the coalition said it had shot down 12 booby-trapped drones and 2 ballistic missiles fired by the group towards Saudi territories.

The rebel movement regularly announces 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 Houthi rebels 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 crisis 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.

Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara