Saudi coalition says intercepted two Houthi drones

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said Saturday it had intercepted two drones in the Riyadh region and the country’s south that were launched by the Iran-backed group.

The coalition, which backs neighbouring Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its war with the Houthis, has battled a surge in attacks since hostilities reignited in July.

Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the military coalition, said in a post on X that “two drones launched by the Houthi terrorist militia were intercepted and destroyed in the Riyadh and southern regions”.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have launched strikes on a range of Saudi targets including airports, energy infrastructure, military sites and Riyadh’s financial district.

They have frequently launched attacks against the Saudi capital, particularly its international airport.

Last Sunday, a Houthi strike damaged a skyscraper owned by Saudi state oil giant Aramco in Riyadh’s financial district.

Twenty-six people have been killed in attacks on the kingdom since September, 23 of them in strikes on airports, according to the authorities.

In Yemen, the Houthis frequently report Saudi airstrikes in areas of the country under their control.

The Saudi coalition has been fighting in support of Yemen’s government for more than a decade.

The Yemen conflict first erupted in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, forcing the government to relocate to Aden.

Since a four-year truce collapsed this summer, more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.