Saudi-led coalition reports intercepting Houthi missiles aimed at Riyadh and other regions
The coalition reported destroying ballistic and cruise missiles as fighting in Yemen intensified and rival sides traded accusations over deadly attacks.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said its air defences destroyed three ballistic missiles fired towards Saudi Arabia, including two aimed at Riyadh and one at the Eastern province. The reported interceptions came amid intensified fighting between the Iran-aligned armed group and Yemeni government forces.
Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said in a post on X on Sunday, November 8, that two ballistic missiles had been launched towards the Saudi capital. He also confirmed the interception of a ballistic missile headed towards the Eastern province. In a subsequent announcement, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles in Riyadh and the southern region.
The exchanges followed the launch last month of a government offensive called Dawn of Yemen, which seeks to recapture territory controlled by the Houthis, including Sanaa. The group is also known as Ansar Allah, Arabic for Supporters of God. In September, Houthi forces had rapidly taken control of much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Meanwhile, Anees al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, said Saudi-led coalition air attacks on Saturday killed 33 people in al-Shariyah village near Sanaa. Those killed included eight women and 13 children, he said. At least 39 other people were wounded, according to his account on X.
Al-Asbahi said the attacks struck homes, roads, paramedics and civil defence teams in the village, which lies in Bani Hushaish district east of Sanaa. The coalition did not immediately comment on the reported strikes, and Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the reports. Houthi-affiliated media also reported on Sunday that artillery fire had hit several areas of Shada border district in Saada province.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree earlier said the coalition had conducted 105 air strikes and missile attacks within 24 hours against Sanaa and seven other governorates. He put the total since the escalation began at 4,369 strikes. In a post on X, Saree also claimed that Houthi forces had conducted six operations against Aramco oil facilities, Riyadh airport and Saudi military positions on both sides of the border.
The two sides also gave conflicting accounts of an attack that killed 30 people at a market in Taiz province on Friday. The Houthis attributed the deaths to Saudi air strikes, while Yemeni government forces accused the group of launching a ballistic missile at the market.
The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and almost 300,000 displaced since the collapse in July of a ceasefire established in 2022. The truce broke down after the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ports.
