New Delhi, Oct. 20 -- Britain will deploy Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets on defensive missions over Saudi Arabia to help intercept missiles and drones fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, while ruling out offensive strikes against the group, the UK government said on Tuesday.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the fighter jets would conduct defensive counter-air operations to protect Saudi cities, civilian populations and critical national infrastructure from aerial attacks.

The deployment follows a request from the Saudi government for additional military assistance as Houthi attacks on the oil-rich kingdom intensify. Britain will also send a military transport aircraft and an unspecified number of military adviser...