Saudi coalition shoots down Houthi drone

riyadh — The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen on Thursday said it shot down an explosive-laden drone heading towards the kingdom, a statement published by Saudi state news agency SPA said.

The drone had been launched from Hodeidah governorate on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, the coalition said.

Cross-border attacks by Houthi forces have escalated since late May when a truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic expired. In late June, missiles reached the Saudi capital Riyadh. The coalition has retaliated with air strikes.

Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported a coalition air strike on Thursday morning on the Saada area which borders Saudi Arabia.

The United Nations Yemen envoy has been holding virtual talks between the warring parties to try to agree a permanent ceasefire and confidence-building steps to restart peace negotiations last held in December 2018. —