Saudi Forces Shoot Down Ballistic Missile Fired by Yemeni Opposition

Command of the Saudi-led coalition said that Saudi Arabia’s air defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired late on Friday by Yemen’s Houthi opposition.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Saudi Arabia’s air defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired late on Friday by Yemen’s Houthi opposition at an area southwest of Riyadh, command of the Saudi-led coalition said.

The missile attack came hours before US President Donald Trump was expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia as part of his first foreign trip since assuming presidency this January.

"The Saudi Air Defense Forces managed to intercept a ballistic missile, this evening … The missile was launched by the Houthi militias, in Yemen," the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the command as saying.

The missile reportedly targeted a non-populated area. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The agency said coalition forces had returned the fire, hitting the launch sites.

The Sunni monarchy has been backing Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in his standoff with the Shiite Houthi movement that started in 2015. It has set up a coalition to carry out air attacks on Houthi positions at Hadi’s request.