Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Medina
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Thursday that air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward the Medina region, home to one of Islam's holiest cities. Minutes earlier, Saudi civil defence warned of possible danger near the Red Sea oil port of Yanbu. It was unclear whether the two alerts were linked.
A ballistic missile fired toward Saudi Arabia's Medina region was intercepted on Thursday, 5 November, Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels, said on X. "Air defence intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the Medina region," he wrote, according to France 24, which cited AFP.
The announcement came shortly after the kingdom's civil defence agency warned of potential danger around Yanbu, a strategic Red Sea port at the end of the East-West Pipeline that lets Saudi oil bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It was unclear if the Yanbu warning and the Medina intercept were connected. The Houthis have repeatedly said they would not target Mecca or Medina, while Yanbu has been hit in recent months.
France 24 noted that the Houthis have previously attacked Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and military sites. There was no immediate independent confirmation of damage or casualties from Thursday's intercept.