Saudi Arabia says intercepts ‘hostile projectile’

SANAA, Yemen

Saudi air defenses intercepted a “hostile projectile” fired towards the kingdom’s western region, according to the defense ministry on Wednesday.

A ministry statement, however, did not provide any further details about the incident.

Ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the kingdom has taken all procedures “to protect its security and civilians”.

In a related development, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had destroyed a drone fired by Houthi rebels inside Yemeni airspace.
There was no comment from the Houthi group on the statement.

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

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

A recent United Nations report projected that by the year’s end, the death toll from the seven-year Yemeni conflict will reach 377,000.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara