Saudi Arabia Claims US Cutting of Missile Batteries Not to Affects Its Capabilities

The administration of US President Joe Biden on Friday said the Pentagon is cutting the number of troops and air defense units deployed to West Asia, including withdrawing Patriot batteries and an anti-missile system, called THAAD, from Saudi Arabia.

"This will not affect the Saudi air defenses," Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the war coalition against Yemen, told reporters.

"We have a strong understanding with... our allies about the threat in the region. We do have the capability to defend our country."

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on US-made Patriots to intercept missiles and drones fired at the kingdom on a near daily basis by Yemeni forces in retaliation for the Saudi airstrikes that have claimed the lives of thousands of civilians.

The coalition claimed on Sunday that Saudi defenses had intercepted a drone launched by Yemeni forces toward the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, without elaborating.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a tweet on Saturday that the Yemeni forces launched an attack using Qasef-2K drone on King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, stressing that the attack hit its target accurately.

He noted that the attack came in response to the ongoing Saudi aggression and siege on Yemen.

Yemen Petroleum Company said on Monday that Saudi Arabia is preventing a new ship, loaded with a total of 23,066 tons of mazut, from reaching Hudaydah seaport despite having undergone inspection and having relevant permits from the United Nations.