(Photo courtesy of Anadolu)
ISTANBUL — The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Houthi forces toward the western Saudi Arabian city of Taif.
The interception came as Saudi authorities issued emergency warnings in Jeddah and Yanbu, prompting heightened security alerts in both areas.
Saudi Civil Defense later lifted the warnings after declaring the areas safe but did not disclose the specific threats that triggered the alerts.
The coalition provided no immediate information on possible casualties or damage resulting from the missile interception.
The latest incident followed another missile attack late Tuesday, when Saudi air defenses intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles over Riyadh.
According to Saudi Civil Defense, falling debris from the intercepted missiles damaged a building, a construction site, and a vehicle. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Earlier Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition also announced the interception of four drones and three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Saudi territory.
The successive interceptions came amid renewed hostilities between the Houthi movement and the Saudi-led military coalition, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Saudi Arabia has led military operations against the Houthis since March 2015, following the group’s seizure of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and other territories in 2014.
The conflict has involved repeated cross-border attacks, including missile and drone launches targeting Saudi territory, as well as military operations against Houthi positions in Yemen.
