The Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced it successfully intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis on Thursday, with the weapons directed toward the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu. Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the coalition, confirmed that Saudi air defenses engaged the incoming missiles. The interception efforts were coordinated with Greek military personnel operating an air defense system in the Yanbu region, who reported shooting down a ballistic missile and drone using a Patriot system.
In response to the coalition’s claims, the Houthis stated they had conducted their own missile and drone attacks targeting what they described as sensitive facilities in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco installations in Yanbu. The escalation prompted Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defence to issue alerts across multiple regions, including the holy city of Mecca, the Red Sea coastal areas, and southern governorates. Officials later indicated the threat had subsided and the affected areas were secure.
The incidents represent a continuation of heightened hostilities between the Saudi-led forces and the Iran-aligned Houthis. The group declared a naval blockade in July and recently seized Yemen’s western coast in a rapid military operation, positioning themselves near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb waterway. Meanwhile, forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government reported repelling coordinated Houthi attacks across multiple fronts in the southwestern Taiz governorate on Wednesday night, as the conflict persists across multiple theaters within Yemen and targeting Saudi territory.
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