Houthis Launch Attacks on Riyadh and Yanbu; Coalition Intercepts Missiles and Drones

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched simultaneous attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, and major industrial cities along the western Red Sea coast on the 16th local time, a holiday in the Islamic world.

Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense and the Saudi-led coalition, announced via social media X that afternoon that Saudi air defenses successfully intercepted multiple projectiles heading toward the country.

Al-Maliki stated, "Over the past several hours, one ballistic missile launched toward Yanbu was intercepted and destroyed."

Yanbu is a key port city located on Saudi Arabia's western Red Sea coast, home to vital oil export terminals and a concentration of petrochemical facilities.

He added, "Two cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed over the Red Sea, and three drones were shot down in the southern region of Saudi Arabia and the Riyadh area."

The attacks spanned virtually the entire territory of Saudi Arabia, ranging from the southern border region adjacent to Yemen to the capital Riyadh in the central inland, and the skies over the Red Sea and the key industrial city of Yanbu.

Specific details regarding casualties and property damage have not been immediately reported.

However, as major oil infrastructure and densely populated civilian areas were targeted, damage is anticipated.

Amid escalating civil conflict in Yemen between the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels, the Houthis have recently intensified persistent offensives targeting locations such as the international airport in Riyadh.

Additionally, the previous day, they carried out a missile attack targeting the presidential palace in Aden, the southern temporary capital of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, causing numerous casualties.

The Houthi rebels claimed the attack targeted an operations command center inside the presidential palace directed by Saudi military officers.

(Photo: Capture from the Saudi-led coalition spokesperson's social media, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.