The key facts

  • Saudi air defense systems intercepted the ballistic missile before it reached its target, Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said
  • Responsibility was placed on Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis
  • Alerts sounded in Dammam, Al-Ahsa and Abqaiq; the authorities announced the threat had ended

Missile intercepted over the Eastern Province

Saudi Arabia's air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward the country's eastern region, a spokesman for the Riyadh-led coalition said overnight into Sunday Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki. According to him, the missile was fired toward the Eastern Province by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group, and the projectile was destroyed before reaching its intended target (Anadolu).

Alerts in cities and the context of the conflict

Earlier, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense Directorate reported the activation of emergency alert systems in the cities of Dammam, Al-Ahsa and Abqaiq; the authorities subsequently announced that the threat had passed. Yemen has been in a state of civil war since 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, and a number of other provinces, while the Saudi Arabia-led coalition has been conducting military operations since 2015 in support of the country's internationally recognized government. According to Anadolu, in recent months fighting between government forces and the Houthis has intensified, and the group has repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia, including aviation facilities, with ballistic missiles and drones.