Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted cruise missile, 3 drones

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile and three drones over several regions of Saudi Arabia amid escalating aerial attacks on the kingdom, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki announced the interception of the cruise missile over the western Medina region in a statement on X.

The statement did not identify who had launched the missile or its intended target and provided no details on casualties or damage.

Al-Maliki later said coalition forces had intercepted and destroyed a drone over Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, without providing details.

In a separate statement, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed another drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi group towards the kingdom’s southern region.

The coalition had announced earlier on Thursday the interception and destruction of a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

Responding to the earlier announcements, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied that the group had carried out any attacks against Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they have not carried out any operation targeting Saudi territory today,” said Saree, referring to the group’s forces.

There was no immediate further comment from the Houthis on the coalition’s later announcements.

On Sept 29, the coalition also accused the Houthis of carrying out a drone attack on the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina.

The attack knocked a transformer out of service but did not disrupt the electricity grid, according to al-Maliki. The facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.

The coalition said at a news conference on Thursday that 19 people had been killed and 364 injured in attacks it attributed to the Houthis targeting Saudi airports.

Al-Maliki said King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had come under 20 attacks since the beginning of October, killing 17 people and injuring 333 between Oct 7 and 11.

He said attacks on Abha International Airport had killed two people and injured 28. Three others were injured in an attack on King Abdullah International Airport in Jazan.

Five airports in the kingdom have been targeted since Oct 5, according to official Saudi sources, causing deaths, injuries, material damage and disruptions to air traffic.

A day earlier, the coalition announced that it had destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi group towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s government against the Houthis since 2015. The Houthis have controlled the national capital, Sanaa, and several provinces since 2014.

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