Saudi-led coalition downs Houthi drone from Yemen

Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted a drone launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen toward the kingdom, a spokesman said Monday, Anadolu reports.

Colonel Turki al-Malki said the unmanned drone was shot down inside Yemeni airspace, the Saudi SPA news agency reported.

The move came hours after coalition forces intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthi rebels toward Saudi Arabia.

Houthi rebels have claimed several drone and missile attacks on military positions in the kingdom in recent weeks.

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Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthi group overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen and supporting the country’s pro-Saudi government.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the raging conflict since 2016, according to UN estimates.