Saudi-led coalition shoots down Houthi drone

Yemen's Houthi rebels have stepped up their attacks against Saudi Arabia in recent months. Yahya Arhab / EPA

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Monday evening.

The missiles were launched from Sanaa against civilians, coalition spokesman Col Turki Al Malki said.

Col Al Malki denounced the attacks,  telling the Saudi News Agency that the Houthis' "hostile and terrorist acts have been rated as war crimes according to the humanitarian international law".

Monday’s drone was the latest in a series of attacks against the kingdom.

On Sunday evening, coalition forces intercepted and shot down two Houthi drones launched from Yemen.

There were no immediate details about any casualties or damage.

The coalition also intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen that evening.

Earlier on Sunday, the coalition shot a drone launched by the rebels towards Khamis Mushait in south-west Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia and other members of the Arab Coalition, including the UAE, have been fighting for the internationally recognised Yemeni government against the rebels since 2015.

The Houthis, who seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, have increased drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent months.

While most were intercepted, some have caused deaths and injuries, including two strikes on Abha airport in June and July.

The escalation in violence undermines UN attempts to put into effect a ceasefire in the port city of Hodeidah, the main entry point for desperately needed food and aid.

The truce brokered in Sweden last December was hopefully seen as a first step towards a political resolution to the conflict.