Saudi coalition says Houthis attack Saudi's Abha airport: state TV

[February 10, 2021]    DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen said the Iran-aligned Houthi group launched an attack on Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia that caused a fire in a civilian aircraft, state media reported Wednesday.

Yemen's Houthi movement regularly launches drones and missiles into Saudi, many of which Saudi says it intercepts. Some have previously hit Abha International Airport which is around 120 km (75 miles) from the Yemeni border.

"The attempt to target Abha airport is a war crime and put civilian travellers' lives in danger," the coalition statement said, adding the aircraft was on the ground at the time and that the fire was brought under control.

There was no immediate comment on the incident in Houthi media.

Earlier on Wednesday, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two armed drones launched by the Houthis towards civilians in Saudi Arabia.

The coalition on Sunday and Monday also said it had intercepted Houthi drones fired towards Saudi.

The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthis. U.N. officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war which the U.N. says has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

(Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Lisa Barrington; Editing by John Stonestreet and Alex Richardson)

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