Yemeni air defense forces deter Saudi air raid in Jawf: Army spokesman
The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, says the country’s air defense units have managed to thwart a Saudi airstrike against strategic and residential areas in the country’s northern province of al-Jawf.
Saree said a squadron of Saudi F-15 fighter jets sought to bombard areas in the province, located approximately 110 kilometers (68 miles) north of the capital Sana'a, on Monday noon, when the domestically-built and long-range Fater-1 (Innovator-1) surface-to-air missile defense system intercepted the jets and forced them off Yemeni airspace.
The development took place only two days after Yemeni army air defenses intercepted two Saudi-led F-16 warplanes in the skies of Jawf, deterring the aircraft from carrying out any act of aggression.
Earlier that day, the long-range Fater-1 missile defense system had prevented a Saudi-led F-15 military aircraft from launching an aerial attack in the same Yemeni region.
Yemeni armed forces unveiled Fater-1 along with other domestically-built long-range, surface-to-air missile defense systems on February 23.
Yemeni Minister of Defense Major General Mohamed al-Atefy, Chairman of the General Staff Major General Mohamed al-Ghammari and Brigadier General Saree were in attendance during the event.
The systems have entered service following successful tests, the official announced at the time.