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The Saudi-led coalition announced on Thursday that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the Madinah region in western Saudi Arabia. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki shared the development via a post on X that was subsequently carried by state media without providing further details on the projectile’s origin or intended target. No casualties or damage were reported from the incident which forms part of a series of aerial threats the kingdom has faced in recent weeks. The coalition had earlier reported intercepting a drone over the Eastern Province on the same day.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree rejected the coalition’s account and stated that Yemeni armed forces had carried out no operations targeting Saudi territory on Thursday. He described claims of an attack aimed at Madinah as “a shameless and brazen lie” in a separate post on X. The denial follows a pattern in which the Iran-aligned group has contested several recent Saudi accusations while claiming successful strikes on other targets such as Riyadh’s international airport. Saree has repeatedly warned that Houthi operations against Saudi airports and oil facilities would continue.
A Reuters dispatch from earlier in the week reported that one person was killed and nearly a dozen injured in a fresh strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday following an initial attack that left 13 dead and more than 300 wounded. Saudi authorities indicated that air defences had intercepted additional projectiles including a cruise missile near the capital’s King Khalid International Airport as well as a drone in the Eastern Province and a ballistic missile directed at Khamis Mushait. These incidents have forced the temporary closure of Riyadh airport and triggered widespread flight delays and cancellations at other hubs including Jeddah.
The latest interception occurs against the backdrop of renewed escalation that began last month after Houthi forces seized positions along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait a critical chokepoint for global shipping according to an Al Jazeera assessment of the fighting. The group has since launched ballistic missiles cruise missiles and drones at Saudi military and civilian infrastructure prompting coalition retaliatory operations inside Yemen. Madinah houses the Prophet’s Mosque one of Islam’s two holiest sites and the Houthis had previously vowed to spare both Madinah and Mecca from their campaigns.
On Oct. 1 the coalition accused the Houthis of striking a power distribution station supplying electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah though the group denied responsibility for that drone attack as well. A subsequent investigation by coalition experts traced wreckage to Houthi planning according to statements released at the time. Air defence systems have since recorded multiple successful interceptions of incoming threats including three ballistic missiles on a single day in early October two of which were headed toward Riyadh. The sustained exchanges have raised concerns over aviation safety and regional stability as conferences in the Saudi capital proceed despite the disruptions.
