Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards its capital, Riyadh, and destroyed two drones targeting the southern region on Friday, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi militia.
The latest attempted attacks follow a series of cross-border strikes targeting Saudi cities, airports and energy facilities, including Aramco installations and Dammam airport, where four people were reported killed and several others injured.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh shortly after 4am on Friday.
In a statement posted on X, Al-Maliki also said Saudi air defences destroyed two drones launched by what he described as the terrorist Houthi militia towards the Kingdom’s southern region at around 1am.
The latest interceptions came after Saudi authorities issued a security alert for Najran, which was subsequently lifted.
On Thursday, coalition forces reported intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile heading towards Najran and nine drones launched towards the Eastern Province, Riyadh and Madinah.
The coalition’s statements did not provide details about the launch locations of the drones or indicate whether the latest interceptions caused damage or injuries.
Previous attacks kill four people in Saudi Arabia
The latest attempted strikes follow attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province a day earlier, targeting Aramco facilities and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
Saudi authorities reported that four people were killed in the attacks. Two died from falling debris after air defences thwarted an attempted drone strike on an Aramco oil facility, while two others were killed in an attack targeting the airport.
Several other people were injured, including a Pakistani citizen, according to the supplied report.
The attacks have raised concerns over the safety of civilian populations and critical infrastructure as Houthi cross-border strikes continue to intensify.
Coalition reports rising number of Houthi attacks
According to coalition figures, the Houthis launched at least 14 ballistic missiles and more than 60 armed drones targeting Saudi Arabia during October.
The reported missile targets include Riyadh, Khamis Mushayt, Najran and the Eastern Province. A cruise missile fired towards the Madinah region on October 15 was also intercepted.
The coalition has reported multiple interceptions over several Saudi regions in recent days.
On Thursday, it said four drones were intercepted over Riyadh and Madinah, another over Riyadh, and four over the Eastern Province. Two additional drones targeting the southern region were also reported intercepted in a separate statement.
On Wednesday, coalition forces reported intercepting seven drones, including one heading towards the southern region and six over Madinah and the Eastern Province.
Saudi Press Agency reports and official government statements cited by the supplied material say attacks during the month have killed 24 people and injured at least 374 others.
Yemeni army claims operations against Houthis
Separately, a spokesperson for the Yemeni army said government forces had carried out 780 successful operations against the Houthis over the preceding 24 hours.
According to the spokesperson, the operations resulted in the deaths of 512 Houthi fighters and the destruction of 330 vehicles and other pieces of equipment. These figures have not been independently verified.
The claims come amid continued fighting in Yemen and increasing cross-border attacks involving ballistic missiles and armed drones.
Coalition rejects allegations of attacks on tribal gatherings
The Saudi-led coalition has dismissed allegations that it targeted tribal or civilian gatherings in Yemen, describing the accusations as baseless.
The coalition said Saudi Arabia remained committed to ensuring that Yemeni tribes were not exploited in any conflict that ran counter to the Yemeni people’s aspirations for peace, security and development.
The latest developments underscore the growing regional security concerns surrounding Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, particularly strikes aimed at population centres, airports and energy infrastructure.
