Saudi Arabia intercepts five drones fired by Iran-linked rebels

Saudi Arabia intercepts five drones fired by Iran-linked rebels at same airport that was hit two days ago in missile attack that wounded 26

  • The drones targeted Abha Airport where a missile hurt 26 people two days ago
  • They were also aimed at a nearby Saudi city which houses a major airbase 
  • It comes amid spiralling tensions after two further oil tanker attacks yesterday 

Saudi forces on Friday intercepted five drones launched by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels, a Riyadh-led military coalition said, in a second assault on an airport in the kingdom’s in two days.

The drones targeted Abha airport, where a rebel missile on Wednesday left 26 civilians wounded, and the nearby city of Khamis Mushait, which houses a major airbase, the coalition said in a statement released by Saudi state media.

The latest raid comes amid spiralling regional tensions after Washington accused Iran of carrying out attacks that left two tankers ablaze in the Gulf of Oman, the second such incident in a month in the strategic sea lane.

Debris on the tarmac at Abha airport on Wednesday, with a plane belonging to budget Saudi airline Flynas in the background, after the rocket attack two days ago 

‘The royal Saudi air defence force and air force successfully intercepted and destroyed five unmanned drone aircraft launched by Huthi militia towards Abha international airport and Khamis Mushait,’ the coalition statement said without reporting any casualties.

The airport was operating normally with no fights disrupted, the statement added.

Huthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported earlier that the Iran-aligned rebels had carried out drone attacks on Abha Airport.

The rebels, who have faced persistent coalition bombing since March 2015 that has exacted a heavy civilian death toll, have stepped up missile and drone attacks across the border in recent weeks.

Wednesday’s missile strike hit the civil airport in the mountain resort of Abha, which is a popular summer getaway for Saudis seeking escape from the searing heat of Riyadh or Jeddah.

The latest drones targeted Abha airport, where a rebel missile on Wednesday left 26 civilians wounded (pictured, wreckage at the regional airport earlier this week)

The latest drones targeted Abha airport, where a rebel missile on Wednesday left 26 civilians wounded (pictured, wreckage at the regional airport earlier this week) 

During a media tour of the airport on Thursday, Saudi authorities said they had closed a part of the arrival lounge after the missile tore a hole in the roof and disrupted flights for several hours.

The area was covered in bamboo scaffolding and littered with concrete debris and shards of broken glass.

Two passengers, including an Indian national, who suffered mild injuries recalled pandemonium and screams after a loud explosion triggered a blaze, leaving the lounge covered in smoke.

A Saudi civil aviation official said authorities were still investigating rebel claims that they fired a cruise missile at the airport.

If confirmed that would represent a major leap in the rebels’ military capability, experts say.

The scene at Abha airport in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Wednesday after the missile attack

Emergency services at the scene after Yemeni rebels attacked the airport in Abha, a Saudi mountain resort city

The scene at Abha airport in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Wednesday as emergency services respond to a rocket attack claimed by Houthi rebels 

The official also confirmed that it had not been intercepted by the kingdom’s Patriot anti-missile batteries.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused Iran of arming the rebels with sophisticated weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

The coalition vowed to ‘take stern action’ to deter the rebels and protect civilians after the missile attack, which drew international condemnation including from the European Union.

The coalition intervened in support of the Yemeni government in 2015 when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last remaining territory in and around second city Aden.

Since then, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say.

It has triggered what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million Yemenis – more than two-thirds of the population – in need of aid. 

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