The Arab Coalition’s spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said on Wednesday that they stopped and destroyed an explosive drone that belongs to the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemeni airspace.

The Houthis are deliberately targeting civilians and civilian objects, the spokesman said, adding that coalition forces would be taking the necessary operational measures to protect them.

The attempted attack comes a day after 8 people were wounded when the coalition destroyed another Houthi drone that had targeted the Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia.

The coalition was able to destroy the drone before it hit the airport, but shrapnel from the drone scattered around the premises, causing injuries and damage to a civilian aircraft.

That was the second attempted attack on Abha airport in less than 24 hours.

“At (0906) Tuesday (31 August 2021), a second attempt to target traveling civilians and staff at Abha International Airport by the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia using a bomb-laden drone was thwarted,” al-Maliki said in a statement.