Maliki told the Saudi Press Agency that the drone was intercepted before it hit "civilian targets."
Earlier in the day, Yemeni news outlet Al-Masirah TV reported Monday that the country's Houthis have initiated a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport.
The outlet also indicated that strikes have been carried out on the Tihama power station.
Although initial reports indicated that inbound traffic to the airport was being placed on hold, Al-Arabiya TV has reported that air traffic has resumed operations after the Houthi-deployed aircraft was intercepted. A statement from the Saudi-led coalition states that "the drone has not achieved its targets."
— Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) July 8, 2019
Citing Al-Masirah TV, Reuters reported that a Houthi spokesperson has indicated that the drone strike targeted Saudi military hangars.
This latest in a series of attacks carried out by Houthi officials comes just two days after Al-Masirah reported on a strike that was called on the Jizan Regional Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. Following a prior attack on Abha Airport, a spokesperson for the Houthi movement reportedly indicated that "more painful operations" are expected to unfold in the future.
The Saudi-led coalition has been engaged in fighting in war-torn Yemen since 2015. The ongoing war between the coalition and Houthi fighters has been repeatedly referred to by the United Nations as the world's worst humanitarian conflict, as an estimated 24 million Yemeni people are in need of aid.
