Coalition in Yemen says 4 armed drones destroyed

Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen said Sunday that they had intercepted and destroyed four armed drone aircraft they said were launched by Houthi forces in the area aimed at civilian targets.

Reuters reported that Colonel Turki al-Malki, a coalition spokesman, announced the drones’ destruction on Saudi state television. Malki said that the aircraft were targeting areas in southern Saudi Arabia, according to the news service.

The operation follows the Biden administration’s withdrawal of U.S. support for the coalition last week, a move that was celebrated by progressives due to the skyrocketing human toll of the years-long Yemeni civil war.

Combat between Saudi-led coalition forces and Houthi rebels suspected to be supported by Iran have led to thousands of civilian casualties, including many as a result of U.S.-supported Saudi military actions, as well as widespread famine conditions across the country.

“This war has to end,” Biden said on Thursday. “And to underscore our commitment, we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales.”

In his remarks Thursday, Biden also stressed that the U.S. would continued to support Saudi Arabia’s defense against Iranian-backed forces in the region.

“Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks, [drone] strikes and other threats from Iranian supplied forces in multiple countries,” Biden said. “We’re going to continue to support and help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people.”