Saudi defences thwart Houthi attacks as Yemen fighting escalates

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki confirmed on Sunday that air defences destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh and downed three drones over the kingdom’s Eastern region.

Earlier on Saturday, coalition defences also intercepted and destroyed two additional suspected Houthi drones over the Riyadh and southern regions.

Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group used Yemeni-made surface-to-air missiles to down an armed coalition reconnaissance aircraft over al-Jawf.

Saree noted that Houthi forces repelled multiple Saudi formations, marking the fifth coalition aircraft the rebel group has destroyed since hostilities escalated.

Saudi authorities report that suspected Houthi drone and missile strikes have killed at least 26 people in the kingdom since September 23.

The rebels have repeatedly targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, the East-West pipeline, and vital oil infrastructure in eastern and southern Saudi Arabia.

In Yemen, coalition forces intercepted drones targeting Marib while Yemeni army spokesperson Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili reported territorial gains in the al-Hazm and Madghal districts.

Al-Nuzaili stated that 723 targeted operations across four governorates killed or wounded 321 Houthi leaders and destroyed 117 rebel military vehicles.

The coalition executed 37 airstrikes, 56 drone attacks, and 541 artillery strikes, while Houthi media reported that shelling in Sanaa injured two women and two children.

Saree countered that the coalition launched 72 airstrikes over 24 hours, prompting Houthi forces to fire ballistic missiles at Saudi-backed troops in Lahij.

Amid escalating violence that the International Organization for Migration says has displaced over 340,000 people since August, the US Embassy in Riyadh issued a nationwide security alert urging heightened vigilance.