Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Houthi Missiles and Drones Over Riyadh
The Saudi-led coalition said on Friday it destroyed three drones and two cruise missiles over Riyadh and the Red Sea, plus a ballistic missile over Yanbu. The intercepts follow repeated Houthi strikes on King Khalid International Airport that killed more than a dozen people this month.
Riyadh2 min read
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The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis reported on Friday that it intercepted and destroyed three drones over southern areas and Riyadh, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea, and a ballistic missile over Yanbu. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki posted the details on X. The intercepts form part of a sustained exchange that intensified after Houthi forces seized territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast in July.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been a primary target. Coalition officials said the Houthis launched roughly 20 attacks on the airport this month, killing 17 people and wounding more than 300. A strike on Saturday, 10 October, killed at least 12 people, including citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. A further attack on Sunday killed one more person. The airport remained closed for days; dozens of flights were cancelled and several airlines suspended service.
The Houthis also struck the presidential palace complex in Aden on Thursday, killing five people, according to the Yemeni government. Separate attacks on Abha airport killed three and wounded 28. Houthi military spokesmen have warned that Saudi airspace and airports are unsafe, while excluding Mecca and Medina. They claim the strikes are retaliation for Saudi-led airstrikes on Houthi-held areas.
The UN Security Council condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia and on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab in the strongest terms. Saudi officials have accused Iran of continuing to arm and train the Houthis. Oil markets have reacted to the risk of further disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea routes; Brent crude traded above $100 for much of the week and touched $110 on Friday.
No full damage assessment from the latest intercepts has been released. Civil-defence alerts were issued earlier in the week for Najran and Jizan before being lifted. The pattern of airport and energy-facility targeting has raised questions about the durability of Saudi air defences under repeated drone and missile pressure, even as most projectiles are reported intercepted.
