Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Houthi Drones Targeting Riyadh as Yemen War Escalates
Saudi air defenses intercepted two drones launched by Yemen's Houthi militia toward the capital Riyadh, the Saudi-led military coalition said Saturday, in an attempted strike that again underscored the Iran-aligned group's ability to reach deep into the kingdom.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the drones were intercepted and destroyed. A ballistic missile targeting the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait was also intercepted, he said. Al-Maliki gave no information on possible damage or casualties.
Earlier, official security alerts were briefly issued in several parts of Saudi Arabia, including Abha and Khamis Mushait.
The attempt to hit Riyadh carries particular symbolic weight. The Saudi capital lies roughly 850 kilometers (about 530 miles) from Houthi-controlled areas of western Yemen, and a strike there would signal the militia's capacity to threaten the center of power in the Sunni kingdom. The Saudi-led coalition has spent years trying to degrade Houthi missile and drone capabilities, yet the group has continued to launch cross-border attacks.
The coalition said Thursday that it had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis. About 10 days earlier, the coalition also reported a Houthi drone attack targeting the Muslim holy city of Mecca, a claim a Houthi representative denied.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia as the war in Yemen has escalated again. Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognized government and has repeatedly carried out airstrikes against the Houthis as part of the Saudi-led coalition.
Recent Houthi attacks on oil facilities and a major Saudi pipeline have increased pressure on Riyadh. The militia has also sought to stop Saudi oil tankers from passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key shipping route, in an effort to disrupt the kingdom's exports to Asia.
The latest exchange highlights how the Yemen conflict continues to spill across borders, raising risks for Saudi infrastructure, global energy flows and commercial shipping in the Red Sea region. Even without reported casualties, the targeting of Riyadh and Khamis Mushait is likely to keep security and retaliation concerns high in the kingdom.