Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday it had intercepted an explosives-laden drone fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia, Anadolu Agency reports.

Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the drone was shot down over Yemen, without giving any further details, according to the Saudi SPA news agency.

On Saturday, the coalition said it had destroyed a bomb-laden drone ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels towards the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Houthi group accused the Saudi-led coalition of dropping cluster bombs over the Bajil district in the western al-Hudaydah province.

The news was carried by the Houthi-run Al-Masira television, but without giving any information about casualties.

READ: Saudi-backed Yemen government dismiss Houthi claims of advances in Bayda as ‘lies’

There was no comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the claim.

The Houthis regularly fire ballistic missiles and drones towards Saudi areas in response to coalition airstrikes on areas held by the rebels.

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.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.