Sanaa (Monitoring Desk): The Arab coalition established to restore Yemen’s internationally recognized government has claimed that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, was destroyed in midair. Earlier, Saudi air defense systems also intercepted two drones heading toward the country’s southern region.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Arab coalition, said in a statement posted on the social media platform X that the missile aimed at Riyadh was intercepted at around 4 a.m.
According to the report, attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia have intensified over the past several days. Coalition forces said at least 14 ballistic missiles and more than 60 drones were launched toward Saudi Arabia during October.
The attacks targeted Riyadh, Khamis Mushait, Najran and the Eastern Province. A cruise missile launched toward the Medina region was also intercepted on October 15.
There have also been reports of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi airports, energy installations and other civilian locations. According to the Saudi Press Agency, such attacks this month have killed 24 people and injured at least 374.
According to the report, the heaviest casualties occurred during missile and drone attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh between October 7 and 11, when 18 people were killed and more than 333 injured.
The attack on October 10 was described as the deadliest. A ballistic missile struck between Terminals 3 and 4 at the airport, killing 13 people and injuring 309.
Falling debris from missiles and drones intercepted by air defense systems has also caused casualties and property damage. Attacks on Abha International Airport and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed two people at each location, while a total of 36 people were injured in the two incidents.
Similarly, attacks on Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil facilities killed two people and injured two others, while attacks targeting King Abdullah Airport in Jazan injured three people.
The latest Houthi missile attack came after Arab countries and the Muslim World League strongly condemned attacks on King Fahd International Airport and the Shaybah oil field. Those attacks were reported to have killed four people and injured 10.
The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt described the attacks as violations of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and international law, reaffirming their support for the kingdom’s security and territorial integrity.
Bahrain called for international action to stop the attacks, warning that rising tensions in the region could threaten regional peace and global energy security.