The key facts

  • The coalition reported intercepting a Houthi missile aimed at Taif, with no casualties or damage reported
  • Emergency alerts were issued in Jeddah and Yanbu, after which civil defense called them off
  • The day before, debris from two intercepted missiles damaged a building, a construction site and a car in Riyadh

Interception over Taif and alerts in Jeddah and Yanbu

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition operating in Yemen said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile early on Wednesday morning that was heading toward the western city of Taif. Anadolu reports. At the same time, authorities issued emergency alerts in Jeddah and Yanbu, but Saudi civil defense later called off the alert in both areas without specifying what threat had triggered the warnings. The coalition's statement gave no information about casualties or damage resulting from the interception.

Debris in Riyadh and a series of attacks the day before

The incident followed a series of attacks over the previous 24 hours. Late on Tuesday evening, air defenses intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh; according to civil defense, debris from them damaged a building, a construction site and a car, with no casualties reported. Earlier on Tuesday, the coalition also said it had intercepted four drones and three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the kingdom.

Context of the confrontation

The interceptions come amid an escalation between the Houthi group and the coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015, after the group seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country in 2014. The published reports did not say what caused the current escalation or what further steps the parties might take.