Yemen's Houthi Movement claims drone attack on Saudi Arabia; Saudi alliance refutes
- Apr 25, 2021,
- Updated Apr 25, 2021, 12:48 AM IST
CAIRO: The Houthi Movement in Yemen claimed on Sunday that it had used a drone to strike and hit a military air base in southern Saudi Arabia, but the Saudi-led coalition fighting the group said it had intercepted and destroyed an armed drone fired into the kingdom.
A Houthi military spokesman said on Twitter that the group had used a drone to attack the King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait.
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There was no proof of any hit from Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Houthis in 2015 after the Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa claims to intercept the majority of Houthi missile and drone attacks.
At a time when the US and the UN are calling for a ceasefire, the Houthi Movement, which controls much of north Yemen, has continued cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and a land offensive in Yemen's Marib area.
According to sources, the Houthis have rejected Riyadh's bid, claiming that they want complete lifting of a sea and air blockade that allows the Saudi-led coalition to limit imports into Yemen.
The conflict, which is seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions closer to starvation, according to the United Nations.