‘Saudi Arabia intercepted Scud missile from Yemen’

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia intercepted a Scud missile fired towards the kingdom by Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, the Riyadh-led coalition fighting the insurgents has said. 

The official Saudi SPA news agency said the missile was destroyed by the kingdom's air defences at around 09:45pm (1845 GMT) on Saturday, around 100 kilometres from its border with Yemen.

Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels meanwhile said in a statement on their sabanews.net website that the missile targeted the Abha Regional Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. 

The missile "precisely hit its target," it said.

Saturday's incident is the third time Saudi Arabia says it has shot down a Scud fired from Yemen.

On Tuesday, the coalition said that a Saudi Patriot missile had downed a Scud fired from the rebel-held Yemeni capital, Sanaa.