Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi-led Arab coalition downed on Tuesday a drone fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen towards Saudi Arabia.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said the drone was flown from Houthi-held Sanaa towards civilian targets in Khamis Mushait city.

Later, the coalition intercepted and destroyed two other Houthi drones.

They were both shot down while still flying over Yemeni territory, Maliki revealed.

He stressed that all Houthi attempts to launch drones towards the Kingdom are doomed to fail, saying the coalition is taking all necessary measures, in line with the best rules of engagement, to deal with these threats and protect civilians.

The repeated attempted attacks reflect the state of despair among the Houthis and underscore their losses on the ground as they wage a losing battle in Yemen, he stated.

Maliki vowed that the coalition will continue to deter the Houthi actions to neutralize and destroy their abilities in line with international humanitarian law.