<p>Saudi forces intercepted an armed drone fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday, the Riyadh-led coalition said, a day after a rebel strike on an airport in the kingdom.</p>.<p>The latest drone attack targeted the garrison town of Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia that hosts a key airbase but was destroyed before reaching its target, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said, quoted by the kingdom's official SPA agency.</p>.<p>Several drones attacked Abha's international airport in the kingdom's southwest on Wednesday prompting Washington to call for an end to Houthi aggression.</p>.<p>The coalition said the attack set a civilian aircraft ablaze, while the Houthis said they had struck Abha airport with four drones, claiming it was used to launch attacks inside Yemen.</p>.<p>The United States reacted by calling for the rebels to "immediately stop these aggressive acts", just days after demanding an end to any new offensive in Yemen.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/houthis-attack-abha-airport-cause-fire-in-civilian-aircraft-saudi-led-coalition-says-949712.html" target="_blank">Houthis attack Abha airport, cause fire in civilian aircraft, Saudi-led coalition says</a></strong></p>.<p>US President Joe Biden, who has reversed his predecessor Donald Trump's policy on the conflict, has deployed his new Yemen envoy to Saudi Arabia.</p>.<p>Tim Lenderking and his UN counterpart Martin Griffiths met Saudi's deputy defence minister, Khaled bin Salman, who oversees the Yemen portfolio.</p>.<p>US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the attack on Abha during a call with his Saudi opposite number Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, SPA reported.</p>.<p>Washington has ended its support for coalition military operations in Yemen and removed the Houthis from a list of designated "terrorist" organisations but reiterated its support for Riyadh in defending its territory.</p>.<p>In Yemen itself, the Houthis have resumed an offensive to seize the government's last northern stronghold of Marib.</p>.<p>The battle has centred on a government military base west of the city of Marib, a pro-government commander at the scene told AFP.</p>.<p>"The camp was taken by the Houthis but they were dislodged by aerial raids" by the coalition which struck around 10 times, he said.</p>.<p>Losing the camp would sever an important supply line for government forces, he said.</p>.<p>Clashes at the base on Wednesday killed 23 insurgents and 15 pro-government forces, according to the commander.</p>.<p>Reinforcements to support government forces had arrived in the neighbouring province of Shabwa, he said.</p>.<p>Loudspeakers on mosques in Marib were used to urge locals to join the fight or to donate cash.</p>.<p>The Houthis' self-proclaimed foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf, said Tuesday that the rebels' cross-border attacks were in response to coalition air raids in support of the government.</p>.<p>The war in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, according to international organisations, sparking what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.</p>.<p>The Houthis are backed by Shiite Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's arch-rival.</p>
<p>Saudi forces intercepted an armed drone fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday, the Riyadh-led coalition said, a day after a rebel strike on an airport in the kingdom.</p>.<p>The latest drone attack targeted the garrison town of Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia that hosts a key airbase but was destroyed before reaching its target, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said, quoted by the kingdom's official SPA agency.</p>.<p>Several drones attacked Abha's international airport in the kingdom's southwest on Wednesday prompting Washington to call for an end to Houthi aggression.</p>.<p>The coalition said the attack set a civilian aircraft ablaze, while the Houthis said they had struck Abha airport with four drones, claiming it was used to launch attacks inside Yemen.</p>.<p>The United States reacted by calling for the rebels to "immediately stop these aggressive acts", just days after demanding an end to any new offensive in Yemen.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/houthis-attack-abha-airport-cause-fire-in-civilian-aircraft-saudi-led-coalition-says-949712.html" target="_blank">Houthis attack Abha airport, cause fire in civilian aircraft, Saudi-led coalition says</a></strong></p>.<p>US President Joe Biden, who has reversed his predecessor Donald Trump's policy on the conflict, has deployed his new Yemen envoy to Saudi Arabia.</p>.<p>Tim Lenderking and his UN counterpart Martin Griffiths met Saudi's deputy defence minister, Khaled bin Salman, who oversees the Yemen portfolio.</p>.<p>US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the attack on Abha during a call with his Saudi opposite number Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, SPA reported.</p>.<p>Washington has ended its support for coalition military operations in Yemen and removed the Houthis from a list of designated "terrorist" organisations but reiterated its support for Riyadh in defending its territory.</p>.<p>In Yemen itself, the Houthis have resumed an offensive to seize the government's last northern stronghold of Marib.</p>.<p>The battle has centred on a government military base west of the city of Marib, a pro-government commander at the scene told AFP.</p>.<p>"The camp was taken by the Houthis but they were dislodged by aerial raids" by the coalition which struck around 10 times, he said.</p>.<p>Losing the camp would sever an important supply line for government forces, he said.</p>.<p>Clashes at the base on Wednesday killed 23 insurgents and 15 pro-government forces, according to the commander.</p>.<p>Reinforcements to support government forces had arrived in the neighbouring province of Shabwa, he said.</p>.<p>Loudspeakers on mosques in Marib were used to urge locals to join the fight or to donate cash.</p>.<p>The Houthis' self-proclaimed foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf, said Tuesday that the rebels' cross-border attacks were in response to coalition air raids in support of the government.</p>.<p>The war in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, according to international organisations, sparking what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.</p>.<p>The Houthis are backed by Shiite Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's arch-rival.</p>