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World

Saudi-led coalition says it shot down six Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis on Thursday, while the Houthis claimed strikes on Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

By James Calloway · · 2 min read

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-allied group towards Saudi cities, in the latest escalation of the Red Sea conflict.

The missiles were destroyed “in the direction” of the western cities of Taif and Yanbu, the strategic Red Sea port, according to Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen. “Escalations and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly,” he said in a series of posts on X.

Later on Thursday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out attacks on what he described as a “sensitive target” in the capital Riyadh and on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, using ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones, and claimed the operations had achieved their objectives. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts on Thursday for areas including Jeddah, Yanbu, Taif, Tabuk and the holy city of Makkah. There was no Saudi confirmation of a strike on Riyadh, and the civil defence did not issue an emergency alert for the capital, Reuters reported.

The clash is the latest in a series of escalating attacks since renewed hostilities shattered a year-long truce in July. The Houthis have declared a naval blockade on the kingdom and hit its tankers and territory, while Saudi Arabia has responded with scores of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas. The escalation threatens Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea at a time when the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted and the kingdom’s East-West pipeline is only resuming operations after drone attacks earlier this month.

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