Saudi-led coalition thwarts Houthi drone attack in Aden

Arab Coalition brings down armed drone near the Yemen port city

Tribesmen loyal to Houthi rebels chant slogans to mobilise people into battlefronts to fight pro-government forces, in Sanaa, Yemen. AP

The Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen foiled a drone attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a military parade in the port city of Aden, the rebels' Al Masirah TV said early on Monday.

The Saudi-owned Al Hadath channel later quoted sources as saying the coalition air defences shot down a drone west of Aden on Sunday.

There was no official comment from Saudi Arabia or the coalition, but local officials told Reuters that the coalition foiled an attack targeting one of its military camps in Aden.

At the end of last month, Arab Coalition jets hit rebel weapon stores, vehicles and reinforcements in a new operation in northern areas of Yemen's Dhalea province.

Since 2015, the Arab Coalition has been fighting Houthi rebels to restore the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Houthis hold the capital Sanaa in the north of the country, while the Yemeni government is operating from Aden in south.

The rebels have increased missile attacks on Saudi Arabia against a backdrop of increased tension between Iran and the US, a Saudi ally.

Last Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, US National Security Adviser John Bolton blamed Iran naval mines for attacks on four shipping tankers off the coast of Fujairah.