An explosives-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to theIranian-aligned Houthi movement was shot down by the Saudi-led coalition inYemen on Friday.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi-led coalition fightingin Yemen intercepted and destroyed an UAV drone that was launched by Houthirebels towards the kingdom.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said in a statement that the UAV wasdeliberately sent to target civilians and residential areas in the south ofthe country, but there was no information on which city in Yemen the UAVwas launched from and where it came down in the south.

The Houthi rebels made no statement on the issue.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebelsoverran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched adevastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have beenkilled in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitariancrisis, with millions at risk of starvation. – Anadolu Agency