Riyadh: Saudi-led coalition forces said on Sunday they had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones targeting Riyadh, allegedly launched by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, as fighting intensified across several regions of Yemen.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said air defences intercepted and destroyed the two missiles.
Earlier on Saturday, he reported that two suspected Houthi drones had also been intercepted in Riyadh and southern Saudi Arabia.
At least 26 people have been killed in suspected Houthi missile and drone attacks in Saudi Arabia since September 23, according to Saudi authorities.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, oil infrastructure and the East-West pipeline.
Meanwhile, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces reported advances against Houthi fighters in Marib and al-Jawf.
Yemeni army spokesperson Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili said 321 Houthi leaders had been killed or wounded in 723 operations, while 117 military vehicles were destroyed.
The coalition reported carrying out 37 air strikes, 56 drone attacks and 541 artillery strikes. The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed to have launched 72 air strikes and targeted Saudi-backed forces with ballistic missiles.
The International Organization for Migration said more than 340,000 people had been displaced by fighting since August.
Amid escalating tensions, the US Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert urging Americans to exercise heightened vigilance, warning of possible attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure.
