Sanaa, Dec 26 (IANS): Yemen's Houthi militia have claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on the Saudi Arabian city of Samtah that killed two civilians and injured seven others.

"Our forces hit and destroyed sensitive sites in (Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of) Jizan with three ballistic missiles," Xinhua news agency quoted militia spokesman Yehya Sarea as saying in a statement aired on Saturday on the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"The attack came in response to the escalation by the Saudi-led coalition toward our country," he added.

The Houthi missile attack on Friday night hit a car maintenance workshop in Samtah, killing a Saudi citizen and a Yemeni migrant worker, and injuring seven others, according to the Saudi state media.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Iran-backed Houthi militia forced him out of the capital Sanaa.

The Houthi militia has recently intensified cross-border drone and missile attacks against Saudi cities.

In February, the Houthi militia launched a major offensive against the Yemeni government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib.