South Korean Intelligence: North Korean Scud Missiles Are Being Used By Houti Rebels Against Saudi Arabia

Scud missiles like those pictured here were fired into Saudi Arabia from Yemeni rebels during the ongoing armed conflict between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the ousted former government. An official on Wednesday claimed the Houthis bought them from North Korea. Getty Images

VICE News: North Korea Likely Supplied Scud Missiles Fired at Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels

South Korean intelligence officials said Wednesday that around 20 Scud missiles fired at Saudi Arabia from Yemen by Houthi rebels and their allies originated in North Korea.

"North Korea has sold missiles to Yemen and sent missile engineers to that country in the 1990s," a former North Korean intelligence official told South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

The Shia rebels fired the Scud missiles in retaliation for an ongoing bombing campaign in Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition.

An independent expert told VICE News the South Korean report about the North Korean origins of the missiles is likely accurate. "Back in 2002, Yemen purchased around 20 Scuds from the North Koreans," Joseph Bermudez, an arms expert with All Source Analysis, said. "So it's likely the Scuds being used in the conflict did come from North Korea originally."

Update #1: Scud missiles fired into Saudi Arabia from Yemen traced to N. Korea: official -- Yonhap News Agency
Update #2: N. Korean missiles sold to Yemeni rebels used against Saudi Arabia -- Korea Times
Update #3: North Korea Missiles Fired From Yemen Into Saudi Arabia, South Korean Official Says -- IBTimes

WNU Editor: Who paid for these missiles? And how did they sneak through the embargo?