Spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab coalition, Colonel Turki al-Malki, underscored on Monday Saudi Arabia’s ability to defend its economic installations and thwart aerial and rocket threats.
In an interview to Al Arabiya, he confirmed that the ballistic missiles and armed drones that have been launched by the Houthi militias in Yemen were manufactured by Iran.
The coalition has so far destroyed 350 missiles, 550 explosive-laden drones and 62 booby-trapped boats launched by the Iran-backed Houthis.
No country in the world has been able to confront these drones the way Saudi Arabia has, he stressed.
The Kingdom boasts major deterrence power against any threat regardless of its source, Malki added.
Furthermore, he accused the militias of threatening navigation in the Red Sea, adding that the Houthis are adopting an approach similar to the terrorist al-Qaeda organization.
Addressing the Houthi offensive in the Marib province, he warned that it is threatening the lives of Yemenis and undermining UN efforts to resolve the conflict.
Saudi Arabia is supporting the Yemeni national army and helping it protect its gains on the ground, he added.
On Riyadh’s retaliation to the Houthi targeting of oil installations in eastern Saudi Arabia, he said: “As opposed to the Houthis, we are committed to international laws in our operations.”
“We enjoy tactical and strategic patience to protect civilians and we are carrying out painful strikes against the Houthis,” he went on to say.
