Saudi defences intercept Houthi missile fired at MedinaWorld

Medina is home to one of Islam’s holiest cities, and the reported targeting of the region drew immediate attention across the Muslim world. No damage or casualties were reported in connection with the interception.

The kingdom’s civil defence authority also issued emergency alerts on Thursday warning of potential danger in Yanbu, the Red Sea oil export hub, and in the southeastern area of Sharurah, which borders Yemen, as the Houthi attacks on the kingdom continued.

The Houthis had not claimed any attack on the kingdom on Thursday, according to reports. They said on Wednesday that they had attacked Riyadh’s international airport while Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa was visiting the kingdom, but Saudi authorities have not confirmed that attack.

The latest incident comes amid a wider escalation in the region. The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have opened another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to Reuters, and the kingdom has faced waves of missile and drone strikes in recent weeks targeting civilian and military infrastructure.

Earlier this week, the coalition said its defences had intercepted missiles and drones aimed at the kingdom’s southern region, and civil defence alerts have been issued and lifted in several cities, including Abha, Taif, Najran and Khamis Mushait.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are an Iran-aligned armed group that has been fighting the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen for years. The group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones beyond Yemen’s borders, and its attacks have become more frequent as the wider regional conflict has intensified.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi has previously described strikes near the holy sites as a grave violation of their sanctity and a provocation to the sentiments of Muslims worldwide. The Houthis have denied targeting Muslim holy sites in Saudi Arabia.

For now, the coalition’s account of Thursday’s interception rests on its own statement, and independent confirmation of the details is not available. What is clear is that the kingdom’s air defences remain on high alert, and that the conflict in Yemen continues to spill across the border into Saudi Arabia.

The situation will be watched closely in the coming days, as further attacks could follow and as the wider regional war continues to shape the security of the Gulf.