RIYADH: The Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s legitimate government confirmed on early Saturday morning that it had carried out an operation to destroy five air defense sites and ballistic missile depots in the Yemeni province of Sanaa, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki said that the targeting process is an extension of past military operations carried out by the Arab coalition to identify and destroy air defense capabilities and other hostile capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias.
Al-Maliki said that the coalition forces were committed to preventing the Houthi militia, as well as other terrorist organizations, from obtaining such capabilities, which represent a direct threat to civilians, UN aircraft and air navigation.
Al-Maliki said that the targeting process was consistent with international humanitarian law and its customary laws, and that the leadership of the coalition forces had taken all preventive procedures and measures to protect civilians.
TIMELINE
• July 20: The coalition forces intercepted a drone directed toward Abha.
• July 17: The forces intercepted a drone launched toward Jazan.
• July 16: The forces shot down three drones that were heading for southern Saudi Arabia and the cities of Jazan and Abha.
• July 15: The forces intercepted two drones launched toward civilian targets in southern Saudi Arabia.
• June 23: An attack on Abha airport killed a Syrian national and wounded 21 other civilians.
• June 12: A missile attack on Abha airport wounded 26 civilians.
• July 2: Another attack on the Abha airport left nine civilians wounded.
Also on Saturday, the coalition forces intercepted and shot down a drone launched by the Houthi militia in Amran governorate and directed toward Abha.
Al-Maliki said that the Iranian-backed militia remained futile in their attempts to target civilian areas.
The coalition will take strict measures to paralyze and neutralize all hostile capabilities of the militia within international humanitarian law, he said.
Repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have been reported since the Kingdom led a coalition intervention in March 2015 to restore the UN-backed Yemeni government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which the militia had ousted.
