The Houthi group in Yemen announced that two of its drones had attacked Abha International Airport (southern Saudi Arabia), while Saudi media reported that it had intercepted and destroyed two drones launched towards the Khamis Mushayt area near the airport.

The Houthi military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said - via Twitter - that the two planes that were launched on Sunday afternoon had achieved a "precise injury."

He added that this targeting comes within the framework of what he described as a natural and legitimate response to "escalating air aggression and its comprehensive siege" on Yemen.

On the other hand, Saudi media quoted a spokesman for the Saudi-Emirati coalition as saying that the coalition destroyed two drones that were launched by the Houthis "to target civilians and civilian objects in the city of Khamis Mushait," near Abha Airport (south of the Kingdom).

This is the fifth attack of its kind in four days that the Houthis say hit an airport or air base in southern Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh said on Wednesday that a Houthi attack had caused a fire on a civilian plane at Abha airport.

Escalation of attacks

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, the Saudi writer and political analyst Munif Amash Al-Harbi described the recent escalation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as a reflection of Iran's frustration - which supports the group - due to its disappointment with the new US administration’s stance that it did not expect regarding the nuclear deal.

On the other hand, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, a leader in the group, said yesterday, Saturday, that the Houthis are ready to stop drones and missiles if they stop what he described as "countries of aggression" and bomb them with air strikes on the Yemeni provinces and fronts.

He stated that the group called for peace and offered many solutions for it, but the bombing by air continues, and so are the battles.

Yemen has been witnessing a war for 6 years that has claimed more than 230,000 lives, and 80% of the population - about 30 million people - depend on aid to survive.

UN officials are seeking to resume peace talks to end the war, which the world body says has caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis.