Yemen's Houthis say they fired drones at Saudi Arabia's Abha airport

Abha airport, near Saudi Arabia's south-west border with Yemen, has been a regular target for Houthi drones and missiles over the past two years. Yemen has been mired in conflict since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to restore the Yemeni government ousted from power in the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces in late 2014.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group said it aimed a number of drones at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport early on Tuesday and put it out of action for several hours.

There was no immediate confirmation of the incident from Saudi authorities. Abha airport, near Saudi Arabia's south-west border with Yemen, has been a regular target for Houthi drones and missiles over the past two years. Many have been intercepted, but some have hit, causing deaths and injuries.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Twitter the attack with Samad 3 drones took place at dawn. Yemen has been mired in conflict since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to restore the Yemeni government ousted from power in the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces in late 2014. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system.

Cross-border attacks by Houthi forces have escalated since late May when a truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic expired. In late June, missiles reached the Saudi capital Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition has retaliated with air strikes.