Houthi’s Bomb-Laden Drone Towards Abha Airport Destroyed

File Photo: A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper. Image Credit: Paul Ridgeway.

The Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen on Sunday afternoon successfully intercepted and destroyed a bomb-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, towards Abha International Airport, Saudi Arabia in a bid to target passengers.

This was the second explosive-laden drone that was intercepted and destroyed by the Coalition forces. The official spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Col. Turki Al-Maliki had said that the UAV was launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in the Southern Region.

Col. Turki Al-Maliki again released a statement in the evening that another UAV was destroyed. "On this evening, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, a bomb-laden UAV launched by the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia in a systematic, deliberate attempt to target passengers at Abha International Airport, through which thousands of passengers, citizens and various-nationality expats, travel every day, was intercepted and destroyed", the statement read.

The attack drew international condemnation from around the world including from the Arab Parliament and the United Arab Emirates. "The continuation of such attacks demonstrates the danger the Houthi coup poses to the region and further illustrates this militia's aim to undermine regional security and stability", a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates said.