RIYADH, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia's air defense announced Sunday the interception of a ballistic missile fired by Houthi militias towards the border city of Najran, Al Arabiya local news reported.

The southern city of Najran, close to the border with Yemen, has borne the brunt ever since the Houthi militia forces took over swathes of the country in a 2014 coup.

According to the officials, the city has witnessed more than 10,000 rocket attacks mostly arbitrarily targeting civilians since the conflict began in Yemen.

The direct attacks were made because Saudi Arabia has been leading a war against the militias in Yemen since 2015 in support of the elected Yemeni government.

The intensity of the attacks has increased since last month, with more missile firing and the use of sophisticated military techniques such as the use of drones.