RIYADH(National Times)- As the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen\u2019s Houthi movement continues to escalate, the Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday said it had intercepted six drones launched towards the kingdom, including in the Madina region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFour drones launched towards the kingdom have been intercepted and destroyed,\u201d coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki posted on X, adding in a second post that the interceptions took place in Saudi Arabia\u2019s Eastern region as well as Madina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Al-Malki, who did not specify who was behind the launches, later said drones had been intercepted, also in the eastern region. The Houthis denied having targeted the kingdom, with military spokesman Yahya Saree saying their forces had not carried out any \u201cdeep\u201d operations in Saudi territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Saudi energy ministry said that falling debris from the successful interception of a drone targeting an oil facility \u201cresulted in the deaths of two individuals, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others\u201d. It did not say who launched the drone aimed at Shaybah oil field near the UAE border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within Yemen, the Houthis claimed an attack on Wednesday on a military camp near the airport in the southern city of Aden, where the Yemeni government is based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur armed forces were able to target the Saudi enemy\u2019s operations room in the Badr camp in Aden with a ballistic missile,\u201d Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A government military source and a local official told Reuters the group also attacked Riyan airport in the southeastern coastal city of Mukalla. \u201cThe Houthis used missiles and drones to target a military base housing forces from the Saudi-led coalition at Al Rayyan airport,\u201d one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Saree said the group had targeted \u201cmilitary equipment transported by the Saudi enemy via military cargo planes to Al Rayyan airport\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt to support Saudis<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Cairo\u2019s proposed military support for Riyadh was to \u201cdefend Saudi territory, and does not include an attack on Yemen,\u201d state-linked media reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Al-Qahera News, which is closely linked to state intelligence and is to broadcast a speech by Sisi, reported that he also said \u201cthe stability of our brothers in the Gulf concerns Egypt\u2019s national security\u201d. The speech itself has not yet been aired by Wednesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt\u2019s parliament on Monday delayed a debate on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi\u2019s request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia until next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sisi had asked lawmakers to approve military support for Saudi Arabia if requested by the kingdom, which has come under near-daily attacks from Yemen\u2019s Iran-backed Houthis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran warns against interference<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that any interference in the Yemen war by Egypt or any other country would make the situation \u201cmore difficult\u201d. \u201cEgypt has sufficient experience to avoid entangling itself in such a highly complex conflict,\u201d said Iran\u2019s top diplomat in an interview with Iraqi state broadcaster Al-Iraqiya aired on Tuesday. \u201cWe believe that any foreign presence or interference will only make resolving this issue more difficult,\u201d Mr Araghchi noted. He added that Egypt has said it \u201cwill not enter Yemen or engage in a war against Yemen\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decade-plus war between the Iran-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised government reignited in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron meets MbS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Riyadh in a surprise \u201csolidarity\u201d visit, and met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron is the first Western leader to visit since the Houthis intensified their attacks on the kingdom this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trip is part of a Gulf tour to secure diesel and petrol supplies as Macron seeks to bring down energy prices following violent protests in France sparked by rising living costs that have created a political crisis for the president.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RIYADH(National Times)- As the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen\u2019s Houthi movement continues to escalate, the Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday said it had intercepted six drones launched towards the kingdom, including in the Madina region. \u201cFour drones launched towards the kingdom have been intercepted and destroyed,\u201d coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki posted on X, adding in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n