Arab Coalition Downs Houthi Drone Fired at Khamis Mushait

Arab coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki. (Reuters)
Arab coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki. (Reuters)
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Arab Coalition Downs Houthi Drone Fired at Khamis Mushait

Arab coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki. (Reuters)
Arab coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki. (Reuters)

The Saudi-led Arab coalition announced on Monday that it had intercepted and downed a booby-trapped drone, launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen towards Saudi territories.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said the aircraft was flown towards civilian areas in Khamis Mushait city.

He slammed the “terrorist operation”, saying it was another example of the Houthis’ deliberate targeting of civilians. The latest such incident took place on Saturday with the militias attempting to attack Saudi Arabia’s Najran city.

The Houthis’ ongoing hostile and terrorist acts are a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” he added.

The coalition will take all firm measures to “neutralize and destroy the Houthi capabilities in order to protect innocent civilians from such reckless acts,” Malki vowed.



Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
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Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)

Syria's flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook post.

All flights between Syria and the UAE had been suspended in January after opposition factions toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The announcement comes days after the UAE's civil aviation authority announced the resumption of air flights between the Gulf country and Syria. No UAE-based airlines have announced plans to fly to Syria so far.

The resumption of flights between the two countries followed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first visit to the UAE as leader, where he met UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.