Saudi Civil Defence Issues All-Clear for Southern Cities After Houthi Missile Intercepted

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence authority announced Monday that the danger had passed, shortly after issuing alerts for the southern and western cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, Taif, and Najran. The warnings came amid weeks of intensifying hostilities with Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Shortly thereafter, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis toward southern Saudi Arabia.

The southern region of the kingdom, which shares a border with Yemen, has endured repeated Houthi missile and drone strikes targeting military sites and energy infrastructure. Among the facilities at risk is Jazan, home to a 400,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery on the Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia has also conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen as renewed fighting escalates threats to the kingdom’s oil production and export operations.

Houthi forces have additionally struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and oil export terminals in Yanbu, a critical Red Sea outlet for crude shipments.

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