Saudi-led coalition says it downed two Houthi missiles aimed at Yanbu and Taif
The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis towards Yanbu and Taif. The Houthis said they targeted Saudi oil facilities and airports, and clashes between the two sides have intensified.
- Coalition says it destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles fired towards Yanbu and Taif.
- Houthis say they targeted Saudi oil sites, airports and an airbase; Saudi authorities did not comment directly.
- Saudi Civil Defense said debris fell in Mecca, Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh areas.
- Yemen's government says three Houthi missiles hit coast guard sites in Aden.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi group said it destroyed two ballistic missiles that the Houthis fired towards the Saudi cities of Yanbu and Taif. The announcement came on Saturday, as clashes between the two sides intensified, according to Reuters.
The Houthis, who are allied with Iran, said they launched attacks on Saudi oil facilities and airports. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree listed King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, crude oil pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline as targets. He also named King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
Saudi authorities did not directly comment on the Houthi statements. They did report that missile debris fell near the site of one of the purported oil targets. It was not immediately clear whether any of the reported attacks hit their targets in the kingdom or were intercepted.
Saudi Civil Defense said debris from intercepted missiles fell in the Mecca and Medina regions, which are home to Islam's holiest sites. It said parts of the missiles landed in Wadi al-Mughammas in Mecca, and debris also fell in areas of Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. The Houthis then denied attacking Mecca and Medina, saying their operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases.
Earlier on Saturday, Civil Defense briefly issued alerts warning residents of possible danger in Taif, Yanbu, Mecca and Jeddah. About 10 minutes later, the agency said the threat had passed.
In Yemen, the Saudi-backed government said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard sites in the port city of Aden. Its Interior Ministry said two missiles struck a coast guard headquarters and a third hit a coast guard building in the Tawahi district. Saree said the group targeted Saudi-backed military gatherings at what he called Al-Nasr camp and a naval base in Aden. The coalition had no immediate comment on that claim.
The renewed fighting has shattered a 2022 UN-brokered truce that had largely halted cross-border attacks. The escalation has opened another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to Reuters. Earlier this month the Houthis warned airlines against using Saudi airspace, exempting only the airspace over Mecca and Medina.
Why it matters
Many Pakistani workers live in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, and attacks near Mecca, Medina and oil sites touch places and supplies important to Pakistanis.
