Saudi-Led Coalition Says Cruise Missile Intercepted in Medina Region, Houthis Deny Any Attack
The Saudi-led military coalition said on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile in the Medina region, in western Saudi Arabia. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki announced the interception in a short statement on X, which Saudi state media also carried. The statement gave no details about where the missile came from, what it was aimed at, or whether there were any casualties or damage.
A quick denial from the Houthis
Yemen’s Houthi group rejected the claim outright. Its military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said no operation had been carried out against Saudi territory on Thursday. The group has said before that it would spare the holy cities of Makkah and Medina, which is why a claim involving the Medina region carries particular weight — Medina is home to the Prophet’s Mosque and is one of the holiest cities in Islam.
A run of attacks in recent days
The announcement comes after days of exchanges. Saudi Arabia has faced a series of attacks recently, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport, and has answered with strikes on Houthi positions in Sanaa. The coalition also said a drone was brought down over the Eastern Province early on Thursday, and that a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh had been destroyed a day earlier.
Earlier this month, the coalition accused the Houthis of a drone attack on an electricity distribution station in Medina linked to the supply for the Prophet’s Mosque. Thursday’s competing claims could not be independently confirmed, but even the suggestion that the fighting is reaching the skies near the holy cities marks a serious turn in a war that has already spread well beyond Yemen’s borders.
