Saudi shoots down Houthi missile fired toward Narjan

Dubai : Saudi Arabia’s Air Defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Houthis from Yemen’s Saada toward the city of Najran on Saturday, according to the spokesman for the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, Colonel Turki Al-Maliki. 

Al-Maliki said that at 8 p.m. local time, the air defense forces detected the launch of a ballistic missile by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemeni territories toward Saudi Arabia.

Colonel al-Maliki said that the missile was in the direction of the city of Najran and was deliberately launched to target civilian and populated areas, and was intercepted and destroyed by the Saudi Royal Air Defense Forces. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Al-Maliki said that the hostile action taken by the Houthi forces proves the continued involvement of the Iranian regime in supporting Houthi armed groups in clear defiance of UN Resolution 2216 and Resolution 2231. 

He said they aimed at threatening the security of Saudi Arabia and threatening regional and international security and added that firing ballistic missiles at populated cities and villages is contrary to international humanitarian law.

Colonel Al-Maliki renewed his call for the international community to take more serious and effective steps to stop Iranian violations, including continued smuggling and the transfer of ballistic missiles and weapons to terrorist groups, and to hold them accountable for their defiance of international norms and values.

Earlier last week, Saudi Arabia’s Air Defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis toward Jazan. Saudi forces succeeded in intercepting the missile before reaching its target.