Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Six Houthi Ballistic Missiles Targeting Saudi Cities

Fighters affiliated with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government engage in clashes with Houthi fighters in Yemen [File: AFP]

Saudi-led coalition forces fighting Yemen’s Houthis announced they successfully intercepted six ballistic missiles allegedly fired by the Iran-allied group toward multiple cities in Saudi Arabia.

According to Major General Turki al-Malki, the spokesman for the Saudi-backed Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, the missiles were destroyed on Thursday as they headed toward the Saudi cities of Taif and the strategically vital port of Yanbu. Saudi air defences intercepted several of the incoming projectiles, Al-Malki reported to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). At the time, no group, including the Houthis, immediately claimed responsibility.

The coalition's statement coincided with a report from the Reuters news agency stating that an air defence system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone on Thursday in the wider Yanbu region, which hosts major oil refining facilities. “Both were shot down,” a Greek security source informed Reuters, noting that the Greek Patriot system launched two missiles without providing specific details regarding the origin of the drone and the ballistic missile. A second source verified this information with the news agency.

The port of Yanbu serves as a critical route for Saudi crude shipments when transit through the Strait of Hormuz faces disruptions. Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defence issued alerts warning of potential dangers in the holy city of Mecca, the northwestern area of Tabuk, the Red Sea areas of Jeddah and Yanbu, and the southern area of Taif. Authorities later lifted the warnings, confirming that the threat had passed and the cities were secure.

The previous week, Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a drone launched by the Houthis toward Mecca—an allegation strongly rejected by the group. Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi dismissed the Saudi claims as “a heinous lie.” This marked the first security alert activated in nearly 10 years in Mecca, which houses the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.

While the Houthis have predominantly targeted the southern regions of Saudi Arabia, they intensified their assaults on the kingdom following their declaration of a naval blockade in July, opening a second theatre in the US-Iran war. Additionally, the Houthis captured the entirety of Yemen’s western coast during a rapid offensive nearly two weeks ago, advancing to the shores of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb waterway in the Red Sea.

On Thursday, forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government reported repelling Houthi advances across multiple fronts in the southwestern Taiz governorate of Yemen. Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, the spokesman for the Yemeni government forces, stated that the Houthis carried out coordinated attacks on Wednesday night in an effort to reach positions along a vital road linking the Aden, Lahj, and Taiz governorates.