Arab News | Coalition forces intercept 2 Houthi missiles targeting Riyadh, 3 drones in Eastern Province

RIYADH: Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis toward Riyadh and destroyed three drones targeting the Kingdom’s Eastern Province early Sunday.

A Saudi Civil Defense alert sounded at 4:08 a.m., warning Riyadh residents of an incoming aerial threat. Three loud explosions were heard minutes later before authorities issued an all-clear notification.

Shortly afterward, the official spokesman of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, announced on X that Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting the capital.

The coalition also intercepted three drones launched toward the Eastern Province, according to the announcement.

The latest attacks follow a series of Houthi strikes against Saudi airports, military installations and energy infrastructure, including a recent attack that damaged an administrative building belonging to state oil giant Saudi Aramco in Riyadh’s financial district.

The Eastern Province, home to most of Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas reserves and Aramco’s headquarters, has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks.

An earlier attack in October caused extensive damage to Aramco’s facilities, while the latest strikes on Riyadh’s financial district have added to concerns over the security of the Kingdom’s critical infrastructure.

The Houthis have also repeatedly targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and other Saudi airports.

Attacks on the Kingdom since September have killed 26 people, including 23 in strikes targeting airports, according to official tally.

Saudi air defenses intercepted Houthi missiles and drones directed toward Riyadh, Makkah and other regions on Wednesday, while the coalition announced on Saturday that it had destroyed two drones launched toward the capital and the Kingdom’s southern region.

The coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis, has intensified airstrikes on militia targets in Yemen in response to the cross-border attacks.