RIYADH: Saudi Houthi escalation intensified Monday after Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired toward its south by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said Saudi air defences dealt with the missile threat.
The missiles targeted Saudi Arabia’s southern region, according to the coalition statement.
Earlier Monday, Yemen’s armed forces said they targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport. They said the strike aimed to block an Iranian plane from landing in the Houthi-controlled capital.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad Al-Alimi said the move was intended to protect national sovereignty.
Read: US Strikes Iran Third Night as Trump Restarts Blockade
The plane was linked to the return of a Houthi delegation from Iran. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Yemen’s main international airport.
They later fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The exchange threatens a yearslong de-escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Al-Alimi said he ordered that the confrontation should not expand. He said Iran sought to drag Yemen into wars serving its regional interests.
