Saudi coalition downs missiles and drones across kingdom

Saudi-led forces intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushayt and three drones over other parts of Saudi Arabia early on Sunday, the coalition said, as Houthi attacks continued.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the missiles had been launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement towards the southern city, which lies near the King Khalid Air Base. Air defences also destroyed two drones over the Riyadh region and a third over the Eastern Province, he said.

Saudi Civil Defence had issued warnings of potential aerial danger in Riyadh, Khamis Mushayt and neighbouring Abha before announcing that the threat had passed. Authorities did not immediately provide details of casualties or damage associated with Sunday’s interceptions.

The warnings highlighted the continuing pressure on Saudi Arabia’s air defence and public alert systems as missiles and unmanned aircraft threaten locations separated by hundreds of kilometres. Riyadh is the kingdom’s capital, while the Eastern Province contains important energy installations and Khamis Mushayt is a major military centre in the southwest.

Saturday brought another series of interceptions. The coalition said its forces destroyed four drones over the Riyadh region, the Eastern Province and southern Saudi Arabia. It also announced the destruction of two ballistic missile launchers in Yemen’s northern Saada governorate, a Houthi stronghold bordering the kingdom.

Civil Defence issued an alert for Khamis Mushayt and Abha on Saturday and declared the danger over four minutes later. Such notifications are intended to warn residents of possible attacks, although the duration of an alert does not necessarily indicate how long an aerial threat has been under surveillance.

The coalition’s account of Sunday’s interceptions was not accompanied by independently verified details about the weapons’ launch sites, their intended individual targets or where debris landed. The Houthi movement did not immediately provide a separately verified account of the five projectiles described by Saudi authorities.

The interceptions followed a particularly damaging sequence of strikes on Saudi aviation and energy infrastructure. A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi authorities. Further attacks disrupted airport operations and prompted international airlines to suspend or adjust services.

Saudi authorities have also investigated how air defences failed to prevent the deadly airport strike. The episode intensified scrutiny of the kingdom’s ability to detect and counter combinations of drones and missiles, particularly around civilian facilities where interception debris can itself pose dangers.

Another strike hit Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran on October 13, damaging upper floors and causing a limited fire. Authorities said there were no casualties. The attack underscored the exposure of energy infrastructure in the Eastern Province, which also featured in Sunday’s drone interceptions.

On October 15, the coalition said Houthi forces had attempted attacks on more than a dozen civilian and energy facilities and accused the group of repeatedly targeting Riyadh’s international airport. The figures were presented by the coalition and could not be independently established for every incident.

The Houthis have described their campaign against Saudi Arabia as a response to military operations in Yemen. Saudi-led forces have conducted strikes against Houthi positions and weapons facilities, saying their objective is to prevent further attacks. The competing accounts reflect a renewed military confrontation that has also affected civilian populations on both sides of the border.

The escalation has prompted diplomatic discussions involving Saudi Arabia and regional partners. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for parliamentary consideration of military assistance to Saudi Arabia, while Cairo has indicated its willingness to support the kingdom against Houthi attacks. Any deployment would require further decisions by Egyptian authorities.

The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, and have launched missiles and drones against Saudi targets while fighting forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Their attacks have also complicated security around Red Sea shipping routes.

Khamis Mushayt and Abha, both in Asir province, have repeatedly featured in Saudi air raid warnings because of their proximity to Yemen. Sunday’s alert covered those two southern cities alongside Riyadh, while the coalition’s drone interception announcement separately identified the Eastern Province.

The authorities have not disclosed whether Sunday’s warnings led to temporary closures of roads, public facilities or airports. Nor did the coalition specify the types of drones intercepted, the air defence systems used or the precise timing of each interception.