Saudi Arabia has intercepted Houthi missiles launched towards Riyadh and the kingdom’s Eastern province, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen.
Major-General Turki al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesperson, said on Sunday that three ballistic missiles had been destroyed, including two aimed at the Saudi capital.
The coalition later said its air defences had intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over Riyadh and the southern region. Earlier, General al-Maliki had confirmed the interception of another ballistic missile directed towards the Eastern province.
The reported attacks came as fighting intensified across Yemen, where government forces launched an operation last month to retake territory held by the Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry said 33 people, including eight women and 13 children, were killed in Saudi-led coalition air attacks on Saturday. The strikes reportedly hit the village of al-Shariyah in the Bani Hushaish district, east of Sanaa.
Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the ministry, said at least 39 other people were wounded. He alleged that homes, roads, paramedics and civil defence teams had been targeted.
There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the reported casualties, and the claims could not be independently verified.
Houthi-affiliated media also reported artillery fire in several areas of the Shada border district in Saada province.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the coalition had carried out 105 air strikes and missile attacks over a 24-hour period against Sanaa and seven other governorates. He said the total number of attacks since the latest escalation began had reached 4,369.
Mr Saree also claimed that the Houthis had carried out six operations against Aramco oil facilities, Riyadh airport and Saudi military positions on both sides of the border.
The escalation follows an attack on a market in Taiz province on Friday in which 30 people were killed. The Houthis blamed Saudi air strikes, while Yemeni government forces accused the group of launching a ballistic missile at the site.
The United Nations has said more than 1,600 people have been killed and almost 300,000 displaced since a ceasefire reached in 2022 collapsed in July, after the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ports.
