RIYADH: The Saudiled coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis said on Saturday it had intercepted drones and ballistic missiles, as the group launched fresh attacks, including on Riyadh, despite international condemnation.
A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday its air defences ‘intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by the Houthis towards the Riyadh area’.
Saudi air defences also intercepted and destroyed two Houthi-launched ballistic missiles targeting Khamis Mushait, a city in the country’s southwest that is home to an air base, the spokesman said.
Hezam Al-Assad, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, said on Saturday that ‘Despite the operation’s strength, scope, and impact, our armed forces view it as merely a small-scale rehearsal for a full-scale escalation.
Meanwhile, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, denounced the Houthi attacks.
‘This dangerous escalation constitutes a flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and poses a direct threat to the security and safety of civilians and the stability of the region,’ he said in a statement.-AFP