Saudi-led coalition destroys air target aimed at Riyadh

RIYADH

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Saturday it shot down an air target fired towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The coalition did not give further details, but Saudi media said the target was a missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the report.

The Iran-aligned rebels have repeatedly announced rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories in response to what they say the Saudi-led assault on Yemen.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict in Yemen has so far claimed the lives of 233,000 people.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara