ADEN, Yemen, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led Arab Coalition's Patriot system intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by the Shiite Houthi militants on the Red Sea coast city of Mocha in western Yemen on Sunday night, a military official told Xinhua.
The missile defence of the anti-Houthi coalition succeeded in destroying the two ballistic missiles fired on pro-government army bases in Mocha city, according to the military source, who declined to be named.
"The two ballistic missiles aimed at a key military base hosting newly-recruited Yemeni government forces and senior officers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)," the source said.
Observers say that the Houthis are launching ballistic missiles against government-controlled provinces to stop the pressure on their forces and compensate their losses in the ongoing fighting across the country.
A few days ago, the Saudi-led coalition dispatched large military reinforcements commanded by Major General Tariq, the nephew of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, to fight the Houthi militants in Yemen's western coast areas.
Saudi Arabia is leading a mostly Arab military coalition to fight Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015.
Houthis have been controlling much of Yemen's north by force, including the capital Sanaa since 2014.
The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced over 3 million, according to humanitarian agencies.
