Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed five drones launched towards the Kingdom on Wednesday, including drones detected in the Madinah and Eastern regions, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki announced the interceptions in posts on X but did not identify those responsible for the drone launches. The latest incident comes amid a broader escalation in the conflict, with Saudi Arabia facing repeated attacks and fighting intensifying across Yemen.
In his initial statement on X, al-Maliki said four drones launched towards Saudi Arabia had been intercepted and destroyed. He later clarified that the operations took place in the Madinah and Eastern regions.
In a separate post, the coalition spokesperson confirmed that another drone had also been intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Region, bringing the total number of intercepted drones to five.
Saudi Arabia faces escalating Houthi attacks
The drone interceptions come as Saudi Arabia faces sustained attacks attributed to the Iran-backed Houthis this month. The escalation has included an attack on Riyadh’s international airport, described in reports as the Kingdom’s deadliest incident of its kind in years.
The coalition has also reported a thwarted ballistic missile attack targeting Riyadh. According to the supplied reports, retaliatory strikes were carried out against Houthi positions in Yemen, destroying the launch pad used to fire the missile.
The latest developments underline growing security concerns for Saudi Arabia as the conflict with the Houthis intensifies.
Houthi attack kills two teenage girls in Taiz
Meanwhile, violence has continued to take a heavy toll on civilians in Yemen. Houthi rebels struck a residential area in Taiz, the country’s third-largest city, on Tuesday, killing two teenage girls and injuring six others.
The attack caused extensive damage in a densely populated neighbourhood amid heavy fighting between Houthi fighters and Yemeni government forces. The incident has renewed concerns about the risks facing civilians in the strategically important southwestern city.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday that the Houthis had largely encircled Taiz, cutting off most supply routes and placing residents at grave risk. The siege has left many people struggling to obtain food and other essential supplies as prices continue to rise.
Deadly strike on military camp
The attack in Taiz came a day after a Houthi strike on a government military camp killed 73 recruits, according to a senior Yemeni government official. The strike was described as the deadliest since the conflict’s resurgence over the summer.
Later on Tuesday, Yemeni government forces said they had thwarted Houthi attacks in several areas across Taiz and killed dozens of Houthi fighters.
Taiz has remained a major battleground since Yemen’s civil war began more than a decade ago. The city is a strategic gateway to southern Yemen and one of the country’s most important historic and cultural centres.
Houthi fighters renewed their advance towards Taiz last month after capturing the port city of Mokha, an area considered vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea. The rebels have continued their months-long offensive, repeatedly targeting government forces with missiles and artillery while maintaining pressure on the besieged city.
Yemeni forces continue operation against Houthis
Yemeni government forces are also continuing their Fajr al-Yemen (Dawn of Yemen) operation against the Houthis, according to the supplied reports.
Over the past 24 hours, approximately 200 Houthi fighters were reportedly killed or wounded in the fighting. The reports also said that 90 vehicles, along with other equipment, had been destroyed during the engagements.
The reported military losses and the latest drone interceptions highlight the widening security challenges across the region as hostilities continue in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
