Saudi-led coalition forces say they intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones targeting Riyadh, as fighting with Yemen’s Houthis intensified across several front lines.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the missiles had been launched towards the Saudi capital by what he described as the “Houthi terrorist militia”. The interception was announced early on Sunday.
Mr al-Maliki had earlier said two suspected Houthi drones were intercepted and destroyed in Riyadh and southern regions of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities say at least 26 people have been killed in suspected Houthi missile and drone attacks in the kingdom since September 23. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as well as oil infrastructure and the East-West pipeline.
Fighting intensifies in Yemen
The latest interceptions came as Saudi-led forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government reported stopping several drones launched towards the Yemeni city of Marib.
Yemeni army spokesman Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili said government forces had made gains against the Houthis during heavy clashes in the al-Hazm and Madghal districts of al-Jawf, while fighting had also intensified in Marib.
He said Saudi-backed forces had carried out 723 targeted operations in Taiz, Lahij, Marib and al-Jawf, killing or wounding 321 Houthi leaders and destroying 117 military vehicles used by the Iran-allied rebel group.
Coalition forces also carried out at least 37 air strikes, 56 drone attacks and 541 artillery strikes, according to Colonel al-Nuzaili.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree gave a different account, saying the Saudi-led coalition had conducted 72 air strikes over the previous 24 hours in the Saada, Taiz, Lahij and al-Jawf governorates. He said Houthi forces had targeted Saudi-backed troops in Lahij’s Kharaz area with ballistic missiles.
Houthi-affiliated media reported that two women and two children were injured by artillery fire from Saudi-backed forces in a residential neighbourhood in the Shuaub district of Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital.
The International Organization for Migration said more than 340,000 people had been displaced by fighting in Yemen since August.
Security warning in Saudi Arabia
The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a nationwide security alert on Saturday, urging American citizens in Saudi Arabia to exercise “heightened vigilance” because of an increased threat of Houthi attacks.
The embassy said attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure had caused civilian casualties and severe travel disruption. It warned that hostilities could spread “rapidly” and advised people to take “extreme caution” when using airports in Saudi Arabia.
