JEDDAH: Saudi Air Defense Forces shot down a ballistic missile fired by Houthi militias from Yemen toward Saudi Arabia Friday night, Arab Coalition command said.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the coalition said the missile was intercepted and destroyed above an unpopulated area in a place called Al-Rin at about 8:45 p.m.
“Coalition Air Forces retaliated immediately, hitting the sites of the missile's launching pads,” said the SPA report.
Reuters earlier quoted a Yemeni news agency as saying the Iran-backed Houthis had fired a Burkan-1 missile toward Riyadh, just ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Arab Coalition statement did not say if it was the same missile that was shot down.
Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and rockets toward Saudi Arabia since the coalition threw its support to the UN-recognized government of Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi amid attempts by Houthis and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to seize control of the country.
Many of the rockets and missiles have been intercepted by Saudi Patriot missiles deployed along the Kingdom’s southern borders with Yemen. Some have hit civilian homes, causing deaths and destruction.
Saudi forces shoot down Houthi ballistic missile
Saudi forces shoot down Houthi ballistic missile
Saudi Arabia announces new financial support to the Yemeni government
RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and Supervisor of the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber announced that the Kingdom, under the directives of its leadership, has provided new support to the Yemeni government's budget, aimed at paying the salaries of state employees in all sectors.
In a post on X, Al-Jaber stated that this support complements a package of development projects and initiatives, amounting to SR1.9 billion, announced on Wednesday. The package includes provision of necessary petroleum derivatives to operate power plants, which will contribute to improving the living standards of people in Yemen and alleviating daily burdens on them.
Al-Jaber’s post emphasized, in particular, that all salaries of military and security forces linked to the the higher military committee linked to the Saudi led Coalition will be paid as of Sunday.
The post is likely relate to Several Media reports which have suggested that disgraced former Southern Transitional Council (STC) chief Aidaroos Al Zubaidi — who has now fled Yemen — was taking advantage of military personnel and withholding salaries as means of pressure. Al-Zubaidi is wanted by the Yemeni government for acts of high treason and corruption.
The ambassador emphasized that these steps come within the framework of supporting the Yemeni government's efforts to implement the economic reform program, which aims to achieve financial and economic stability and enhance the state's ability to meet its basic obligations.
