Arab News | Saudi Arabia intercepts 4 Houthi drones and 2 ballistic missiles targeting the Kingdom

RIYADH: The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said its forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles and four drones launched into southern Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday.

One ballistic missile and the four drones were intercepted and destroyed over Khamis Mushait, and the other missile over Jazan, coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said.

Debris from one of the missiles fell in residential areas of Khamis Mushait, damaging several buildings and vehicles, the Saudi Civil Defense said. Civil defense teams responded and carried out required safety procedures, it added. No casualties were reported.

“We will continue to take and implement operational measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia,” Al-Maliki said.

The latest attacks came hours after the coalition said an investigation had determined that the Houthis were behind a drone strike on the Taiba power-distribution station in Madinah early on Tuesday.

The station supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque and other civilian facilities in the city. The strike put one transformer out of service but did not affect the wider electricity grid, the coalition said.

The UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan on Thursday condemned the Madinah attack. The Gulf Cooperation Council reaffirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and said the security of the Kingdom and its holy sites was integral to the collective security of GCC member states.

The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, targeting cities and energy infrastructure across the Kingdom.

On Saturday, Saudi air defenses intercepted two Houthi drones that were heading toward Riyadh, and two ballistic missiles fired toward Khamis Mushait. Two days earlier, the coalition said six ballistic missiles toward Yanbu and Taif were intercepted.