Saudi-led coalition intercepts 3 rebel missiles from Yemen

SANAA, Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Wednesday it had intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.

A coalition statement cited by the Saudi state news agency SPA said the missiles were shot down by Saudi air defenses before reaching Saudi territory.

The coalition accused the Houthi group of “indiscriminately attempting to target civilians and civilian areas”.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the coalition’s statement.

Houthi rebels regularly announce rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition’s assault on Yemen.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with 30 million people, accounting for 80% of the population, needing humanitarian assistance and protection.

* Writing by Bassel Barakat in Ankara