Saudi-led coalition intercepts six Houthi ballistic missiles

Shafaq News- al-Taif/ Saada

Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis on Thursday, thwarting an attempt to strike the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

The coalition, formally the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, has fought the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015 in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The Houthis, also known as Ansarallah, control the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said in a statement that the coalition would deal firmly with “Houthi escalation and violations.”

Saudi Civil Defense issued an early warning in Yanbu, a Red Sea port city, during the attack. It later said the threat had passed in Tabuk, Mecca and Taif.

Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces has intensified since July. On Sept. 19, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh, which the coalition said it intercepted.

Strikes Reported In Yemen

Media outlets affiliated with the Houthis reported four Saudi airstrikes earlier in the day on the Qatabir and Maran districts of Saada province, the group's northern stronghold on the Saudi border. One strike hit a telecommunications network in central Qatabir and three hit Maran, a local source told the Houthi-run Saba news agency.

In Taiz province, a Saudi airstrike destroyed a water station and a civilian car in the al-Kamb area of Maqbana district, according to the Houthi-run al-Masirah television channel. The channel also reported that a girl lost a hand and was wounded when a missile struck near her home in the al-Hajla area of Saada's Razih district.

Civilian Toll

The number of people displaced by the escalating fighting in Yemen has risen to nearly 130,000, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Clashes since the start of August have killed or wounded about 125 civilians, according to UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, who said the UN was shocked by the rising civilian toll. The High Commissioner called on all warring parties to always distinguish between civilians and combatants and to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians without obstruction.

Related News
Deploy Tough Sanctions and Diplomacy to Isolate the Houthis in Yemen
Ansar Allah (Houthis) announce agreement with Saudi Arabia to stop ongoing war in Yemen
U.S. and U.K. launch strikes against Houthis, Russia calls U.N. meeting, Iraq condemns
Houthis vow to persist in military operations despite U.S. and U.K. operations
PMF supporters rally in support of Yemen's Houthis in Baghdad
Houthi Group Claims Responsibility for Red Sea Ship Attack En Route to Palestine