RIYADH: The Arab coalition said it destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia toward the Kingdom, Saudi state TV reported on Friday. 

The coalition said that the Houthis continue to target the Kingdom with ballistic missiles and armed drones, which are in strict violation of international law.

Meanwhile, the joint forces on Yemen’s western coast said that they had detected eight reconnaissance aircraft launched by the Houthi militia over four separate areas in Hodeidah governorate, as part of its repeated violations of a United Nations truce.

A military source said three aircraft were spotted in the sky above Hays District, two planes over At Tuhayta District, and three aircraft in the Al-Jabaliya and Al-Faza areas in At Tuhayta.

On Thursday, joint forces also detected 94 Houthi violations of the UN armistice on Hodeidah within 12 hours, and five reconnaissance planes flew over At Tuhayta, south of Hodeidah.

The Houthi militia has recently intensified the use of explosive and reconnaissance drones, which a UN committee of experts said earlier was assembled from external components and shipped to Yemen.

The report of the UN experts charged with monitoring the arms embargo imposed on Yemen since 2015 said that the Houthi militia acquired new weapons in 2019, some of which have characteristics similar to those produced in Iran.

The report, which was sent to the Security Council, said that “in addition to the known weapons systems they had so far, (the Houthis) are now using a new type of Delta drones and a new model of land cruise missiles.”