JEDDAH: Saudi air defense forces intercepted and shot down a Houthi ballistic missile over a desert area on Thursday morning, with no damage to property or casualties, the coalition announced in a statement.

Saudi Patriot missiles downed the rebel projectile above Al-Madhaya village in Jazan 25 seconds after it was spotted as it came over the border. Teams sent out to pick up fragments of the missile said it appeared to be of Iranian origin.

The Houthis launched another missile on Thursday but this exploded in the sky over Sanaa, damaging houses and cars of citizens. The coalition has intercepted dozens of missiles, while many others have exploded in the skies over Sanaa, Omran and Bani Hashish.

Meanwhile, the coalition denied an accusation by Tehran that alliance’s warplanes had targeted the Iranian embassy in Sanaa. An investigation found that “the allegations are false and that no operations were carried out around the embassy or near to it,” a coalition statement said.

“It also confirms the embassy building is safe and has not been damaged.”

Separately, the Saudi forces seized a large number of rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles along with 30 to 50 caliber machine guns belonging to the Houthi militias and supporters of deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh at a Yemeni military site near Harad District. Sources said the Saudi forces spotted Houthi platoons trying to enter the border area between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to target two Saudi provinces Maousam and Tuwal, according to a report.

The Saudi forces killed dozens of Houthi militants and supporters of Saleh. The military operation involved Saudi ground troops, long-range artillery bombing, with air cover provided by Apache helicopters, the report stated.

Troops loyal to Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi seized a Red Sea port town in the country’s northwest following fierce fighting with Iran-backed Shiite militias, a military chief said. “We have full control of the port and the town, along with its historic castle,” Fifth Military Region commander Gen. Adel Al-Qumairi said of Midi.

Yemen's Foreign Ministry has declared the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights persona non grata after what it said were unfair statements, a government agency reported on Thursday.

Sabanew.net quoted an official source as saying that the representative had "lost professionalism and is persona non grata".