RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian-led coalition in Yemen said it destroyed two explosives-laden drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi group toward southern Saudi territories, a Saudi-run television said on Saturday. 

Al-Arabiya TV said the coalition announced that Houthi rebels in Yemen targeted Khamis Mushait and Jazan.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarei said the drones targeted King Khalid Air Base in the Khamis Mushait area.

He said the attacks were carried out in response to coalition attacks and the continued blockade imposed on the people of Yemen.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels frequently target the southern area of Saudi Arabia.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sana'a.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to UN estimates, the conflict has claimed at least 233,000 lives, with millions facing starvation and in need of humanitarian assistance.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan