Saudi-Led Coalition Says It Intercepted Two Missiles and Two Drones Targeting Riyadh

The Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted two missiles and two drones targeting the Saudi capital Riyadh. The claim was made by the coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis, at a time when fighting is intensifying across various front lines in Yemen.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said in a post on X early on Sunday, 'Air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh.'

Earlier on Saturday, al-Maliki had said two suspected Houthi drones were intercepted and destroyed in Riyadh and the southern regions.

According to Saudi authorities, at least 26 people have been killed in suspected Houthi drone and missile attacks since September 23.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, as well as the East-West pipeline and oil infrastructure in eastern and southern Saudi Arabia, the report said.

The interceptions come as Saudi-led forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government also said they intercepted several drones launched towards the Yemeni city of Marib.

Yemeni army spokesman Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili said government forces had made gains against the Houthis during heavy fighting in the al-Hazm and Madghal districts of al-Jawf, as fighting intensified in Marib.

According to al-Nuzaili, 321 Houthi leaders were killed or wounded in 723 targeted operations by Saudi-backed forces in the Taiz, Lahij, Marib and al-Jawf governorates, and 117 military vehicles of the Iran-allied rebel group were destroyed. He also said the coalition carried out at least 37 air strikes and 56 drone attacks, as well as 541 artillery strikes.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, on the other hand, said the Saudi-led coalition had launched 72 air strikes against the Houthis in the Saada, Taiz, Lahij and al-Jawf governorates over the past 24 hours. Saree also said the Houthis targeted Yemen's Saudi-backed forces in the Kharaz area of Lahij governorate with ballistic missiles.

Media outlets affiliated with the Houthis reported that two women and two children were injured as a result of artillery shelling by Saudi-backed forces in a residential neighbourhood of the Shuaub district in Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 340,000 people have been displaced as a result of fighting in Yemen since August. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Riyadh issued a nationwide security alert on Saturday urging Americans in the kingdom to exercise heightened vigilance, citing an increased threat of Houthi attacks. The embassy said Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia had caused civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions, and warned hostilities could spread rapidly. It also advised extreme caution when using airports in Saudi Arabia.