RIYADH — The Arab Coalition forces on Thursday intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia toward Jazan. In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the official spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said: “The Royal Saudi Air Force has intercepted and destroyed this morning (Thursday) a ballistic missile launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in Jazan.” “The terrorist Houthi militia is purposely escalating the deliberate, hostile, terrorist targeting of civilians and civilian objects using ballistic missiles and bomb-laden drones. These terrorist acts amount to war crimes,” the statement read. “The coalition will continue to implement all necessary operational procedures to safeguard civilians and civilian objects in accordance with the international humanitarian law,” the coalition spokesman added in the statement. The attack with ballistic missile targeting Jazan comes just hours after the coalition intercepted two explosives-laden drones launched toward Khamis Mushait. The Houthi militia has recently stepped up attacks, targeting civilians and civilian facilities in a number of Saudi cities and regions, including the capital city of Riyadh.