Colonel Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, has reported that on 6th July 2019 coalition forces successfully intercepted and downed a number of drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militia from Sanaa Province towards the territories of Saudi Arabia. The drones were destroyed by the Coalition’s air defence systems, contrary to claims by Houthi militia media sources that they had accurately hit their targets.
The Houthi terrorist militia have previously launched attacks against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia. Since June, Abha International Airport in Asir Provence has been targeted on three separate occasions - 12th and 25th June and 2nd July 2019. The attacks resulted in one fatality, 56 civilian injuries and damage to the airport buildings and vehicles.*
In addition, coalition forces successfully intercepted four further drone attacks targeting populated residential areas in Khamis Mushayt and Asir on 25th and 29th June 2019 respectively, the port city of Jizan also on 29th June 2019, and the King Abdullah Airport in Jizan on 4th July 2019.
Colonel al-Malki said that the desperate and continuous attempts by the Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian assets would be constantly confronted and thwarted and the efforts to neutralise Houthi capabilities would continue in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
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*Reported civilian causalities include:
12th June 2019 – 26 injured, including three women and two children;
25th June 2019 – one fatality, and 21 injured, including three women and two children; and
2nd July 2019 – nine injured.
