Saudi-led Coalition Intercepts Houthi Ballistic Missile Aimed at Riyadh

Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh. Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Malki wrote on X: “Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh.”

“Two explosions” heard in Riyadh

An AFP journalist in Riyadh heard two explosions early on Saturday, the news agency reported. There was no independent confirmation of the missile’s exact target, and the interception claim has so far come only from the coalition — independent verification is still awaited.

Alerts in three areas, then the all-clear

Saudi Civil Defence sent National Early Warning Platform alerts in Riyadh, Najran and Wadi al-Dawasir, telling residents to shelter indoors, stay away from windows, and not to gather or record. The danger was later declared passed in all three areas. The Saudi Interior Ministry warned that filming or circulating footage of the interception could carry legal liability. In an earlier post, al-Malki said a separate drone had been intercepted in the Eastern Province.

A violent week

The Houthi campaign has intensified this week. On Wednesday, a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed two people — a Saudi citizen and an Indian resident — and injured eight, according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation; drone debris at the Shaybah Aramco facility killed two residents, one Filipino and one Nepali. The Houthis claimed targets including the defence ministry headquarters in Riyadh, the Aramco facility at Yanbu and Abha airport — claims that remain unconfirmed. The European Union announced $25 million in additional humanitarian aid for Yemen, while Brent crude climbed above $116, a six-month high.