Saudi coalition says it shot down cruise missile near Medina, Houthis deny launch
The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a cruise missile over the Medina region, while a Houthi spokesperson denied any attack on Saudi territory.
On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said its forces intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile that was heading for the Medina region of Saudi Arabia, posting the claim on the social platform X. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki provided no details about the missile's origin or intended target. In response, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree asserted that the Yemeni Armed Forces did not conduct any operation against Saudi territory that day, calling the coalition's statement a "great and immense falsehood."
The claim comes amid a series of recent engagements, including a drone shot down over the Eastern Province and a ballistic missile intercepted before reaching Riyadh. Both parties have been targeting each other's airport facilities in an ongoing exchange of air strikes. The conflict, which began in 2015 when the coalition intervened to support Yemen's government, continues to affect key Saudi cities such as Mecca and Medina, which the Houthis have previously said they would spare.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing back-and-forth of the Saudi-Houthi war and the contested narratives over recent missile attacks.
How this story developed
- Oct 5 Yemeni government troops capture key positions on Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Oct 11 A second projectile hit the airport a day after the missile strike, raising the death toll to 13.
- Oct 12 A Pakistani national died in the latest projectile strike.
- Oct 12 The Omani embassy thanked Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to an injured Omani doctor.
- Oct 12 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey demanded an immediate and unconditional halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Oct 12 Saudi officials announced the continued closure of King Khalid International Airport pending safety inspections.
- Oct 12 Saudi authorities have extended the shutdown of King Khalid International Airport until Saturday after renewed Houthi missile and drone strikes, prompting airlines to cancel flights to and from Riyadh.
- Oct 12 Airport shutdown extended to Oct 17 for safety checks.
- Oct 13 Delta postponed its inaugural Atlanta‑Riyadh flight.
- Oct 13 IndiGo and Akasa Air have prolonged the cancellation of flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until October 17 because of heightened security threats in the region.
- Oct 13 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported hitting a supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oct 13 Saudi civil defence alerts stopped operating before the attacks, leaving no public warnings.
- Oct 14 The coalition struck Sanaa’s al‑Suhaba fuel facility and warned nearby residents to evacuate.
- Oct 15 Air India joins IndiGo and Akasa Air in suspending Saudi flights.
In this story
Related stories
24 in this thread