Projectile from Yemen injures Saudi citizen in Najran

The Saudi Civil Defense said that a citizen was wounded by a projectile fired from Yemen into the southern border region of Najran.

Capt. Abdelkhaliq Al-Qahtani said in a statement that emergency forces responded to the incident Wednesday morning and that the wounded Saudi man was taken to the hospital for treatment.

On Monday, Saudi air defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile toward Khamis Mushait from Yemen.

Since the coalition intervention in support of the legitimate government of President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi in March 2015, at least 19 Saudi soldiers have also died in the Najran region, which is just a few kilometers from the border.

More than 31 civilians have been killed in Najran since early last year.

Saudi Arabia has deployed high-tech Patriot missile batteries against long-range ballistic missiles the rebels have fired occasionally towards Najran and elsewhere in the south.

However, Katyushas are harder to detect, officials say, although authorities regularly send out SMS and television announcements to help people protect themselves.

This article first appeared in the Saudi Gazette on Sept. 22, 2016.