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On June 10, the Yemeni Missiles Force [loyal to the Houthis] announced that it had launched a Badir-1 “ballistic missile” at the industrial city in the southern Saudi province of Jizan. The same industrial city was targeted by the Yemeni Missiles Force with rockets on April 11 and 12.
The Badir-1, which was first revealed on March 22, is in fact a locally-made copy of the Iranian-made solid fuel artillery rocket, Fajir-3. The rocket has a high accuracy and a speed over 4,5 Mach, according to the Yemeni Missiles Force.
Minutes after the Yemeni Missiles Force announcement, a spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, Colonel Turki Al-Malaki, said that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force (RSAD) tracked and intercepted a “ballistic missile” of the Houthis over Jizan. Col. al-Malaki revealed that the missile was launched from the northern Yemeni province of Saada.
“This hostile act by the Iran-backed Houthi militias proves the continuing involvement of the Iranian regime in supporting the Houthi militias equipped with qualitative capabilities in a flagrant and explicit violation of the two UN resolutions No. 2216 and 2231 aiming to threaten the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Col. al-Malaki said commenting on the missile strike, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
This is the second missile strike of the Houthis this week. On June 8, the Yemeni Missiles Force [launched a salvo of “ballistic missiles” at several bases of the Saudi military in the southern Saudi provinces of Najran and Asir.
The Saudi-led coalition will likely intensify its aerial operations against the Houthis in Saada as a response to these strikes as it has done many times before.
