Arab Coalition intercepts drone carrying explosives in Yemeni airspace

The Arab Coalition says it destroyed a drone carrying explosives heading toward Yemen’s Hajjah Governorate on Wednesday.

The unmanned drone was shot down in Yemeni airspace after the Iran-aligned rebels launched it from Hodeidah province, the Arab coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in comments carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Al-Maliki called it another violation of an already fragile ceasefire in a key Red Sea province.

Maliki did not report any casualties, but said the operation was a breach of the Hodeidah ceasefire deal reached in Sweden last December between the rebels and Yemen’s government.

Hodeidah is the main entry point for the bulk of Yemen’s imports and humanitarian aid.

However, the rebels denied carrying out the attack, with the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV quoting a spokesman as saying “no such operation has been conducted in the past 12 hours.”

The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, warning that its airports are legitimate targets.

Last Wednesday, the coalition said a rebel missile attack on Abha airport left 26 civilians wounded, vowing “stern action” in response.

Human Rights Watch denounced the strike as an apparent “war crime”, urging the Houthis to immediately stop all attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

The attacks come amid spiraling regional tensions with Iran.