RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 23 (Horndiplomat) — The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Friday it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement towards the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
Major General Turki al-Malki, the official spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, announced the interception in a statement published on the coalition’s official social media account.
The coalition said its air defence systems had successfully intercepted and destroyed the missile before it reached its intended destination.
“Interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait,” the coalition said in its statement.
The announcement did not provide details about the location of the interception, possible debris or whether any damage or casualties had been reported.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the coalition’s claim, which could not be independently verified.
Khamis Mushait, located in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region, has previously been targeted by missiles and drones launched from Yemen during the years-long conflict.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country.
The latest reported interception highlights continuing security concerns along the Saudi-Yemeni border amid the prolonged conflict in Yemen.
(Reporting by Horn Diplomat Desk; Editing by Desk)
