The key facts

  • The coalition reported intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile heading toward the Medina region
  • No data on the alleged target or damage; the Houthis did not comment on the statement
  • The statement came amid escalation between the coalition and the Houthis

Missile interception near Medina

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition said on Thursday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthis toward the Medina region in western Saudi Arabia. The interception was announced by coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki in a statement published on the social network X, Anadolu reports.

What is known and what remains unclear

The coalition did not disclose either the alleged target of the missile or whether the interception caused any damage. The Houthis, for their part, did not comment on the coalition's statement. The announcement came amid an escalation of fighting between the Houthis and the coalition, which backs the internationally recognized government of Yemen. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition against the Houthis since March 2015 — after the group seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country in 2014.