Houthis fire scud missiles at Saudi Arabia: Reports

Up to three Scud missiles were fired at Saudi Arabia from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen on Wednesday morning.

The long-range tactical ballistic missiles were fired from Al-Nahdayn into Jizan province, the Houthi-controlled Defense Ministry and pro-Houthi al-Masirah Television said.

Saudi Arabia has not made any statements about the attack though local reports and video posted on social media appeared to show the missile intercepted by Saudi’s patriot missile defence system.

Some observers expressed surprise at the attack considering the launching site had been repeatedly targeted by Saudi airstrikes.

Since Saudi launched its operation against the Houthi militiamen and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to restore the government of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, more than 4,300 have died and it has created an urgent and widespread humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished country.

On Tuesday, al-Masirah reported that Saudi Arabia had bombed one of its own border posts in Jizan province after it had allegedly fallen under the control of the Houthis.

Though incursions into Saudi Arabia by Yemeni forces are rare, around 50 people have been killed in cross-border fire since the conflict began.

Major General Abdulrahman bin Saad al-Shahrani, a senior Saudi commander, was killed in cross-border fire from Yemen, the armed forces announced on Sunday, making him the highest-ranking of those killed along the border since March.