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US strongly condemns Houthi missile launch directed at Riyadh

WASHINGTON, June 25 (KUNA) -- The US strongly condemned Sunday's Houthi missile launch directed at Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, the State Department announced Monday.
"These actions only exacerbate the conflict in Yemen and deepen mistrust. We stand firmly with our Saudi partners in defending their borders against these continued threats," said State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert in a statement.
She added, "We continue to urge all parties to work with UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths toward a political settlement and an end to the conflict in Yemen." The Saudi-led Coalition aiming to restore legitimacy in Yemen said yesterday it shot down two ballistic missiles fired from within Yemen that were targeting Riyadh.
The coalition's joint air force defence forces detected the attack at 20:39 (local time) which originated from Yemen's northwestern city of Saada, spokesman Col Turki Al-Malki said.
The missiles were fired "deliberately," Al-Malki said, and were targeting civilian-populated areas. Resulting debris after the missiles were destroyed did not result in any casualties amongst occupants in the surrounding residential areas, he confirmed. (end) ak.bs