The air defense forces of the Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. This was announced by the coalition’s spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Maliki.
“The air defense forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile,” al-Maliki wrote on the social network X. He did not specify the missile’s intended target and did not report any casualties or material damage.
Before the interception was announced, Saudi Arabia’s civil defense issued a warning for the Eastern Province. Later, the all-clear was announced both for the area and for Najran Province. The Houthis, who are part of Yemen’s “Ansar Allah” movement, have not commented on the coalition’s claim.
Series of missile attacks
The announcement comes amid a series of missile and drone attacks that Saudi Arabia and the coalition have blamed on the Houthis. A day earlier, the coalition said it had intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the western Saudi city of Taif. Two days earlier, it announced that three ballistic missiles targeting the Eastern Province had been destroyed.
In another incident, debris from two intercepted missiles damaged a building, a construction site and a vehicle in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s civil defense did not report any injuries.
Escalation in Yemen
Saudi Arabia leads a coalition that supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis. The military intervention began in March 2015, after the movement took control of the capital, Sana’a, and other parts of the country in 2014.
In recent months, tensions between the Houthis and the coalition have intensified, with Saudi authorities reporting intercepted missiles and drones, while the coalition has announced strikes on the movement’s positions and infrastructure in Yemen.
Sources: mobil.aa.com.tr, apnews.com