Riyadh says it intercepted missiles and drones fired from Yemen
The Houthis control northern Yemen and the capital Sana'a.
AP - Hani Mohammed
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Saudi authorities announced this Sunday, September 5, that they had intercepted three ballistic missiles fired from neighboring Yemen and targeting the eastern province, as well as the towns of Najran and Jazan in the south.
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Debris from the interception strewn across the eastern town of Dammam, injuring two children and damaging 14 homes, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi Defense Ministry, without specifying the severity of the injuries.
“
Saudi Air Defense intercepted and destroyed (3) ballistic missiles and (3) bomb-laden drones launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia
,” said spokesman Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki, in a press release qualifying this behavior as "
brutal and irresponsible
".
According to state television El-Ekhbariya, which also reported on the interception, the coalition pledged to take "
strict measures
" to protect civilians.
►
To read also: Yemen: the fighting intensifies in the North, more than 60 dead in 2 days in Marib
Four days after two drone strikes in the South
At the head of a military coalition since 2015, Saudi Arabia intervenes in Yemen alongside government forces against the rebels.
It is regularly the target of missiles or drones launched by the Houthis, supported by Iran, rival of the Saudi kingdom.
The attack comes four days after
two drone strikes against Abha International Airport
(south), which left eight people injured and were attributed to the Houthi rebels by official Saudi media.
It also comes hours before the
new United Nations envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, takes office on Sunday
.
Eastern Saudi Arabia is home to significant oil infrastructure.
A previous attack in September 2019 temporarily halved the country's oil production.
The world's worst humanitarian crisis
The conflict in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people.
According to the UN, this is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
The Houthis, who control most of northern Yemen and the capital Sana'a, are calling on Riyadh to end the air and sea blockade imposed on their country as a precondition for a ceasefire agreement.
►
To read also: Saudi Arabia: the massive "layoffs" of Yemenis worry Human Rights Watch
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Saudi Arabia: Massive "layoffs" of Yemenis worry Human Rights Watch