A Saudi-led coalition announced Saturday that its air defenses successfully intercepted a wave of drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels toward Saudi territory.
Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki stated that forces were “monitoring and tracking missile and drone threats directed at the Kingdom” before confirming the interception of two drones headed for the Riyadh area and two ballistic missiles targeting Khamis Mushait in the southwest.
The attacks follow a Houthi-declared naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, which has been accompanied by an escalating campaign of strikes against Saudi cities and shipping lanes, further inflaming regional tensions. While Saudi forces have retaliated with strikes of their own, they have been unable to prevent the group from capturing significant territory in Yemen over the past month.
On Friday, the Houthis reported that Saudi warplanes conducted 14 airstrikes and missile attacks over a 24-hour period against the Yemeni governorates of Taiz, Amran, Marib, and Saada.
The United Nations estimates that more than 122,000 people have been displaced by the recent surge in fighting across Yemen. Between August 6 and September 18, the conflict killed 674 people and injured 2,998, according to UN figures released earlier this week.
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