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Saudi University Catches Fire Near Yemen Border in Attack

Associated Press

   JIDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - A Saudi university near the country's border
   with Yemen caught fire early Wednesday after the kingdom's air defenses
   intercepted a barrage of ballistic missiles and bomb-laden drones.

   The interception scattered debris on Jizan University's campus, which
   caused a fire that has been contained, the Saudi-led coalition at war
   in Yemen said in a statement. It said no one was killed, but there was
   no immediate report of injuries.

   The statement blamed the Iran-backed Houthi group for the attack,
   saying the missiles and drones specifically targeted civilian areas and
   had been launched from the rebels' stronghold of Saada in Yemen. The
   Houthis have carried out similar attacks in the past.

   The six-year-long conflict in Yemen was sparked by the Houthis takeover
   of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, which forced the internationally
   recognized government to flee the city. A Saudi-led coalition supported
   by the U.S. and allied with the government has been fighting the
   Houthis nearly ever since.

   The U.N. humanitarian office says the war has caused an estimated
   233,000 deaths, including 131,000 from indirect causes such as lack of
   food, health services and infrastructure. The conflict came on the
   heels of years of unrest and protests in Yemen against endemic
   corruption and government mismanagement.

   Political deadlock and conflict in Yemen have created the world's worst
   humanitarian crisis. Aid groups report more than 20 million people in
   the impoverished Arab nation are experiencing food insecurity and half
   of them are at risk of famine.

   Rights groups have criticized all sides in the conflict but note that
   Saudi-led airstrikes have often been disproportionate and killed
   thousands of civilians.