RIYADH — The Arab Coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia have intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, targeting the Kingdom’s southern region. In a statement early Sunday, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said that the Iranian-backed militia fired the weaponized UAV at the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait along the border with Yemen. The coalition added that its forces are taking operational measures to protect civilians and civilian facilities from hostile acts, according to a statement carried by state TV Al-Ekhbariya. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned the Iran-backed terrorist Houthi militia"s attempts to target civilians and civilian objects in Khamis Mushait City, Saudi Arabia, with a bomb-laden UAV, which was intercepted and destroyed by the Coalition forces. In a statement issued Sunday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stressed that the continuation of these terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia reflects its blatant challenge to the international community and disregard for all international laws and norms. The ministry urged the international community to take an immediate and decisive stand to stop these systematic attacks that target vital and civilian installations and the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also reiterated that the continuation of these attacks is a grave escalation that represents new evidence of these militias" attempts to undermine security and stability in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed the UAE’s full solidarity and standing with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in facing these terrorist attacks and against whatever threatens its security and stability, in addition to supporting Saudi Arabia’s taken measures to maintain the security and safety of its citizens and residents. The Ministry stressed that the security of the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is inseparable, and that any threat or danger to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered a threat to the security and stability of the UAE. In Manama, Bahrain condemned Sunday the launch of a bomb-laden UAV towards Khamis Mushait city, Saudi Arabia, by the terrorist Houthi militia, in failed attempts that reflect their insistence on targeting civilians and civilian objects deliberately and systematically. In a statement, the Bahraini Foreign Affairs Ministry affirmed the supportive position of Bahrain in support of all the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to confront the Houthi attacks that threaten its security, stability and territorial integrity, commending the vigilance of the Coalition Forces to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which were able to intercept and destroy the UAV. The Ministry called on the international community to condemn the continuation of these repeated terrorist attacks, which undermine all efforts aimed at strengthening the regional security and stability. — SPA