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The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday that two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthi militia toward the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu had been intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems before they could reach their targets. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that the action neutralized the threat from the Iran-aligned group. Al-Malki has repeatedly outlined such operations in statements detailing responses to attacks originating from Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense agency had issued warnings of potential danger in four western regions including Taif, Yanbu, Mecca and Jeddah only minutes before the coalition’s announcement. The alerts instructed residents to move immediately to the nearest safe location as a precaution. All warnings were lifted about 10 minutes later once authorities confirmed the threat had passed according to a Reuters report on the incident.
The interceptions occurred two days after the Houthis claimed they targeted Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry in Riyadh, facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco in Yanbu and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi authorities confirmed two people were killed at the Dammam airport but have not verified the other reported strikes a Reuters dispatch indicated. The coalition separately reported intercepting drones over Riyadh and Medina on Thursday amid the continued fighting.
Al-Malki described the latest Houthi action as part of ongoing violations by what the coalition terms a terrorist militia. The group has launched repeated missile and drone attacks toward Saudi territory throughout the conflict that began with the coalition’s intervention in 2015. Coalition forces maintain support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis who control significant areas in the north.
Recent incidents underscore the persistent aerial risks facing Saudi population centers from Yemen-based launches. Civil defense measures in this case extended to the holy city of Mecca reflecting the breadth of precautionary alerts. No casualties or damage were reported from the missiles that were destroyed in flight according to the coalition’s assessment.
