RIYADH — Saudi Ministry of Defense confirmed that a ballistic missile fired from Yemen on Monday failed to reach its intended target and landed in an uninhabited area near the Saudi-Yemeni border.
“The missile veered off course due to technical issues. A technical review and investigations revealed that the missile was originally intended for another regional country,” said Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman of the ministry.
“Further to the statement issued on Monday evening regarding the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen and its disappearance near the border, the results of the investigations and technical review showed that the missile had been launched toward a regional state,” he said. “The ballistic missile failed due to technical reasons and deviated from its course. This resulted in inaccurate indications regarding its intended target direction before it fell in an uninhabited area near the Saudi-Yemeni border,” he said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
In a statement earlier, Al-Maliki denied reports circulating on social media claiming that Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj had come under attack. He explained that the activation of warning sirens in Al-Kharj before dawn was a precautionary measure following the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen that disappeared near the border. He added then that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the missile launch.
Source: Saudi Gazette