The key facts

  • The coalition reported intercepting a drone over the Riyadh region on Saturday; no casualties
  • On Friday, according to the coalition spokesman, two more drones were intercepted — in the Eastern Province and in the south of the country
  • The incidents occur amid an escalation between the Houthis and the coalition

Interception over Riyadh and previous incidents

The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition in Yemen said on Saturday that it had intercepted and destroyed a 'hostile' drone over the Riyadh region. There were no casualties. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said that debris from the interception fell to the ground but caused no casualties, adding that 'the relevant authorities continue to inspect the site' of the fall. He wrote about this on the X platform, reports Anadolu.

A series of interceptions over two days

This was not an isolated incident over the past 24 hours: on Friday, al-Maliki reported the interception of two other drones — in the Eastern Province and in the southern region of the country. Thus, over two days the coalition announced three drone interceptions in different parts of Saudi Arabia.

Context

According to Anadolu, the incidents are taking place against the backdrop of an escalation of the confrontation between the Houthis and the coalition, including attacks on Saudi airports and energy facilities. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis, who have controlled the country's capital, Sanaa, and part of its territory since 2014.