Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles and drones aimed at Riyadh and Mecca, Houthis deny targeting Mecca
The Houthi military spokesperson said the group targets oil facilities and military bases, and claimed a strike on a pumping station in Yanbu that Saudi Arabia did not confirm.
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Saudi Arabia Houthi missiles and drones aimed at Riyadh, Mecca and other regions were intercepted on Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition said, according to a Reuters report carried by Cyprus Mail. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca.
Riyadh interceptions: what the coalition says it destroyed
The coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles headed to the Riyadh region, two drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas and two missiles pointed towards the west. Saudi civil defence issued alerts warning of potential danger in Taif, Yanbu and Khamis Mushait later on Wednesday, then announced the danger had passed, state television reported.
The reports reviewed do not mention casualties from Wednesday’s attacks. Siasat noted that Saudi Arabia had also reported intercepting a drone in the Makkah region on Friday 6 November.
Key numbers
- 3: cruise missiles aimed at the Riyadh region, per the coalition, via Cyprus Mail.
- 2: drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas, per the coalition.
- 2: missiles pointed towards the west, per the coalition.
- 13 killed and more than 300 wounded: the toll of last month’s Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, per Cyprus Mail.
Houthis deny Mecca was a target
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied targeting Mecca with a drone, saying the group’s operations target oil facilities and military bases. Saree also said the Houthis had attacked a pumping station in Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu, a key oil hub that allows exports to avoid the blocked Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia did not confirm the Yanbu claim, per Cyprus Inform.
Mecca is Islam’s holiest city, Cyprus Inform noted. India and Saudi Arabia signed the Haj 2027 quota agreement on Monday, as our report on the Haj 2027 agreement showed. None of the reports links the attacks to pilgrim travel.
How the Saudi-Houthi fighting escalated
Wednesday’s interceptions marked the second consecutive day that Saudi air defences had intercepted Houthi missiles launched towards Riyadh, after they downed a ballistic missile and a cruise missile on Tuesday, the coalition said. A Houthi attack on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh’s financial hub.
Renewed fighting has intensified since September, when the Houthis advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping chokepoint at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
What happens next after the Saudi Arabia Houthi missiles
No ceasefire talks are mentioned in the reports. Further Saudi Arabia Houthi missiles and drone launches are possible, given the pattern of the past three days. Independent confirmation of the coalition’s interception figures and of the Yanbu claim was not available in the reports reviewed.
Missile and drone fire at Riyadh, Mecca and oil sites raises the risk to Saudi energy exports and to Red Sea shipping. The coalition's figures and the Yanbu claim are unconfirmed, so the next Saudi statement and any Houthi follow-up strikes are the things to watch.