The key facts
- Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Eastern Province
- A day earlier, two drones were intercepted over Riyadh and the southern regions
- The interceptions come amid an escalation between the coalition and the Houthis
Another interception over the country's east
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition said that early on Sunday the kingdom's air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Eastern Province. The interception was announced by coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki on the social network X, without providing additional details — including on possible damage or the drone's origin.
A series of interceptions amid escalation
A day earlier, al-Malki reported that Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by Yemen's Houthis — over Riyadh and the southern regions of the kingdom. The coalition records repeated missile and drone attacks on the country's territory, which points to a continuing escalation of the confrontation.
Context of the conflict
Yemen has been in a state of conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and a number of other provinces. In 2015, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government. Since then, periods of escalation have been accompanied by shelling of the kingdom's territory, to which the latest drone interceptions also belong.
