The key facts

  • The coalition reported three drones shot down over southern Saudi Arabia and the Riyadh region
  • Two cruise missiles were intercepted over the Red Sea and a ballistic missile near the port of Yanbu
  • The escalation began in July after a period of relative calm following the 2022 ceasefire

Coalition statement

The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition in Yemen said on Friday that it had shot down three drones over the kingdom's southern regions and the Riyadh region amid ongoing Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki announced the interceptions on the social media platform X.

Missiles over the Red Sea and Yanbu

According to al-Maliki, the coalition also intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over the Red Sea. In addition, a ballistic missile aimed at the port city of Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia was shot down over the past few hours.

Conflict context

The latest incidents followed a wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and energy facilities. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemen against the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and a number of other provinces since 2014. The current escalation began in July after a period of relative calm that followed the ceasefire brokered by the United Nations, which had been in effect since April 2022.