Saudis intercept Yemen rebel missile as camp toll rises

Saudis intercept Yemen rebel missile as camp toll rises
A Yemeni rebel missile was intercepted over Saudi Arabia Friday, a Saudi-led coalition said, as the death toll from a rebel attack on a Yemeni army camp rose to 32
2 min read
18 March, 2017
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict [AFP]

A Yemeni rebel missile was intercepted over Saudi Arabia late on Friday, a Saudi-led coalition said, as the death toll from a rebel attack on a Yemeni army camp rose to 32.

The rebels' Saba news agency said the missile was aimed at offices of Saudi oil giant Aramco in the town of Jizan.

The coalition, which has been fighting the rebels in support of government forces for the past two years, said the missile was intercepted without casualties or damage.

The Yemeni army said the toll from Friday's rebel rocket attack on its camp in Marib province, east of the capital Sanaa, had risen to 32 dead and 81 wounded.

Marib province lies on the border with Saudi Arabia and most of it has been retaken by government forces.

Military sources said the rebels hit the Kofel camp in Sarwah district with a Katyusha-type multiple rocket launcher and hit a mosque crowded with soldiers for the main weekly prayers.

Despite the coalition's military intervention, the rebels still control Sanaa and much of the northern highlands and Red Sea coast.

The Saudi-led operation in Yemen began in 2015 after Houthi rebels allied to deposed long-time leader Ali Abdullah Saleh ousted the internationally recognised government in Sanaa.

More than 10,000 have been killed in the conflict, which has brought the country to the brink of famine.