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On July 19, the Yemeni Missiles Force [loyal to the Houthis] announced that it had launched a Badir-1 “ballistic missile” at the regional airport of the southern Saudi province of Jizan. According to the Yemeni al-Mishra TV, the attack is aimed at deterring the Saudi-led coalition.
The Badir-1, which was first revealed on March 22, is in fact a locally-made copy of the Iranian-made solid fuel artillery rocket, Fajir-3. The rocket has a high accuracy and a speed of over 4,5 Mach, according to the Yemeni Missiles Force.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, Colonel Turki Al-Malaki, announced that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force (RSAD) tracked and intercepted a “ballistic missile” of the Houthis over Jizan. Col. al-Malaki also revealed that the “missile” was launched from the northern Yemeni city of Saada.
“[the missile] was deliberately launched to target civilian and populated areas, as the RSADF have successfully intercepted and destroyed it without causing any injuries,” Col. al-Malaki said commenting on the rocket strike, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Since March, dozens of Badir-1 rockets have been launched at civilian and military targets in the southern Saudi provinces of Najran, Jizan and Asir. The Saudi-led coalition claims that all the rockets were successfully intercepted by the RSADF. However, the Houthis deny these claims.
