The Saudi-led coalition has intercepted two suicide drones which were launched from Yemen, allegedly by the Houthis (Ansar Allah).
The first drone was shot down late on November 5 while it was heading to the city of Khamis Mushait in the southern Saudi province of ‘Asir. The second drone was shot down on November 6 afternoon while it was on its way to strike Abha International Airport, also in ‘Asir.
The two drones were likely intercepted by fighter jets of the Royal Saudi Air Force with air-to-air missiles. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia purchased hundreds of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles from the US to counter the threat of Houthi drones.
Despite the repeated drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition didn’t slow down its operations in Yemen.
Between November 4 and 6, coalition warplanes carried out 61 airstrikes on Houthi forces in the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf as well as in the central provinces of Ma’rib and al-Bayda.
According to the Saudi-led coalition, the airstrikes claimed the lives of 283 Houthi fighters and destroyed 30 military vehicles of the group.
More than six years into the war in Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition is yet to achieve any of its key goals. The Houthis continue to launch successful attacks on all fronts. Their fighters are currently advancing towards the city of Ma’rib and nearby oil fields.