Saudi Arabia foils Houthi drone attacks in Aseer province

The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain condemned the attack

epa07851144 Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Malik addresses a press conference on the attack against Aramco oil facility, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 September 2019. According to reports, Al-Malik said 25 Iranian-made drones came from the north to attack the facility, and showed what the Saudis said were the remains of cruise missiles and drones used in an attack.  EPA/STRINGER
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Saudi Arabia has intercepted explosives-laden drones in its airspace, a coalition spokesperson said on Monday.

Houthi rebels in Yemen were behind the attempted attacks, which targeted civilians in Khamis Mushait, Aseer province, said Col Turki Al Malki, spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen. Monday's attempted attack saw the 357th Houthi drone to be intercepted and destroyed, he added.

The attacks come just days after a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed group targeted civilians in Najran on Saturday, but was intercepted and destroyed.

Minor injuries were sustained by civilians as a result of debris of the intercepted ballistic missile.

"The continuation of these hostile, terrorist acts using bomb-laden UAVs underscores the extreme, unethical methodology of the Houthi militia, and further highlights its rejection of all initiatives presented by the Coalition as well as all efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths, regarding a ceasefire, de-escalation and a comprehensive political solution for the Yemeni crisis," Col Al Malki said.

The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait condemned the attempted attack.

The UAE's Foreign Ministry said the security of the UAE and  Saudi Arabia are indivisible, and any threat facing the Kingdom is considered a threat to the security and stability of the UAE.

"The continuation of such attacks demonstrates the danger the Houthi coup poses to the region and further evidences this militia's intention to undermine regional security and stability," it added.

Bahrain urged the international community to step up and condemn terrorist acts carried out by Houthi militias as blatant violations that threaten the safety of civilians in Saudi Arabia and the security of the region.