Coalition intercepts Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Taif after alerts in Jeddah and Yanbu
The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy announced early Wednesday that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Taif after civil defense alerts in Jeddah and Yanbu, while fragments from two missiles intercepted over Riyadh caused material damage.
The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced early Wednesday that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the city of Taif in western Saudi Arabia, the latest episode in an escalation that has continued for days between the two sides and has affected the capital Riyadh and the Eastern and Southern regions.
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency that the air defense intercepted and destroyed the missile, without the statement mentioning any casualties or damage resulting from the interception.
Alerts in Jeddah and Yanbu then danger lifted
Before the interception was announced, the Saudi Civil Defense issued alerts through the national early warning platform for emergencies in the Jeddah and Yanbu governorates to warn of a potential danger, later declaring the danger lifted for the two governorates and urging residents to continue following instructions, avoid gathering and photographing entirely, and to call 911 in emergencies.
The Civil Defense did not specify the nature of the danger that prompted the alerts, while Jeddah and Yanbu are located on the Red Sea coast in the west of the kingdom, at a relatively short distance from Taif.
Material damage from fragments of two missiles in Riyadh
This came hours after the Civil Defense spokesperson said its teams in Riyadh responded on Tuesday to the fall of fragments from two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis after their interception and destruction, resulting in material damage to a residential building, a project under construction and a vehicle, with no mention of injuries, and confirming that the approved procedures for such cases were implemented.
Earlier on Tuesday the coalition had announced the interception and destruction of three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Eastern Region, in addition to four unmanned aerial vehicles toward the Southern Region.
Houthis announce targeting of Saudi sites
Conversely, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Tuesday that the group's forces had targeted the Ministry of Defense in Riyadh and the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Region with ballistic missiles, in addition to two military transport aircraft at Najran airport and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushayt, while Saudi authorities did not specifically comment on those targets and limited their statements to announcing the interceptions.
This escalation coincides with a visit by a delegation that includes Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to Tehran as part of regional efforts to reduce tensions, and with the Houthis’ statement that the Egyptian parliament’s authorization for President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi to provide defensive military support to Saudi Arabia constitutes a declaration of war on Yemen.
