RIYADH, April 16 (KUNA) - The Saudi Royal Air Defense Forces on Monday intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Yemeni Houthi rebel group towards the Saudi city of Najran.
In a press statement aired by Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition for supporting legitimacy in Yemen Colonel Turki al-Maliki, stated that the Saudi Royal Air Force detected at 10:16 p.m. (local time) the launching of a ballistic missile by the Houthi militia backed by Iran from within the territory of Yemen (North of Amran governorate) towards the Kingdom's territories.
The missile intentionally fired towards the civilian areas at the Saudi city of Najran, he said, adding that the Saudi Royal Air Defense Forces were able to intercept and destroy it. Fragments of the destroyed missile fell on some residential areas in the city. No casualties or damage were reported until the time of this statement, he noted.
Al-Maliki said that this hostile action by the Houthi militia supported by Iran proves the continued involvement of the Iranian regime in providing the Houthi armed militia with qualitative capabilities in clear and explicit defiance of the UN resolution 2216 and resolution 2231 in order to threaten the security of Saudi Arabia and threaten regional and international security. Firing ballistic missiles at populated cities and villages is contrary to international humanitarian law, he said. (end) nh.ibi