MAARIB, Yemen 

Yemen's Houthi rebel group announced early Friday that it had targeted Saudi Arabia's southern Abha International Airport.

The group claimed to have carried out a drone attack on the same airport causing a "disruption of aviation traffic", according the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel.

For its part, the Saudi-led international coalition announced in a statement that "air defense systems and Saudi air forces intercepted and downed five drones" launched by the Iran-backed Houthis.

The drones were en route to Abha International Airport and the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, the coalition said, confirming "normal" aviation movement at the airport.

On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition confirmed an attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels on Abha International Airport that left 26 civilians injured.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014 when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat