Saudi-led coalition thwarts Houthi drones and missiles targeting Riyadh and Khamis Mushait
The Saudi-led coalition said it shot down two drones aimed at Riyadh and intercepted two ballistic missiles bound for Khamis Mushait.
The Saudi-led coalition reported that its air-defence systems intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi forces toward the Riyadh region on Saturday. Simultaneously, two Houthi-fired ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushait, a city in the kingdom’s southwest that hosts an air base, were also neutralised. Hezam Al-Assad, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, said the operation was merely a small-scale rehearsal for a full-scale escalation despite its apparent strength.
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary general, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, denounced the attacks as a flagrant breach of Saudi sovereignty and a direct danger to civilian safety and regional stability. The coalition’s statement came amid ongoing international condemnation of the Houthi offensive. No casualties were reported in the intercepted attacks.
Why it matters
The interceptions show the ongoing volatility of the Saudi-Yemeni conflict and its potential impact on regional security.
How this story developed
- Sep 11 Renewed Yemen fighting forces over 46,000 people from their homes
- Sep 14 The displacement figure has risen to nearly 86,000.
- Sep 18 Since the earlier report of 86,000 displaced, the UN now says over 112,000 have been forced from their homes.
- Sep 18 The Ethiopian federal army says roughly 300 TPLF combatants have laid down their arms near the Tekeze river, citing discontent with the group's war preparations.
- Sep 22 UN agencies warned that displacement could rise to over 230,000 if the fighting continues.
- Sep 25 Federal forces and TPLF fighters clashed in Afar while a telecom blackout hit Tigray.
In this story
Related stories
16 in this thread