RIYADH

The Saudi-led coalition targeted ballistic missile sites, weapons depots and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) belonging to the Houthi rebels in northern Yemen on Wednesday evening into Thursday.

The coalition said in a statement that the air strikes were carried out in Saada and Sanaa provinces and these were legitimate operations, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

Meanwhile, according to Almasirah TV, a channel linked to the Iran-backed Houthis, coalition air forces launched five air strikes in various parts of Sanaa.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when the 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.

The conflict has claimed more than 233,000 lives, according to the UN.