Saudi Coalition Says Houthi Ballistic Missile Targeting Medina Intercepted
The announcement came just minutes after Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense agency issued a warning about a potential danger in the area surrounding Yanbu, a strategic Red Sea port. However, it remained unclear whether the two incidents were connected.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Thursday that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the group toward Saudi Arabia's Medina region, home to one of Islam's holiest cities.
The announcement came just minutes after Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense agency issued a warning about a potential danger in the area surrounding Yanbu, a strategic Red Sea port. However, it remained unclear whether the two incidents were connected.
"Air defense intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the Medina region," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a post on X.
The Houthis rejected claims that they had targeted Medina, describing the accusations as a "blatant and grave falsehood."
"Our operations target only its oil facilities and military bases," the group said in a statement.
The Houthis have repeatedly maintained that their ongoing campaign against Saudi Arabia would not target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Their attacks have instead focused on airports, energy infrastructure, and military installations across the kingdom.
The group has also targeted the strategic port of Yanbu on several occasions in recent months.
Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense agency announced that a warning had been issued through the National Early Warning Platform, alerting residents of a potential danger in Yanbu Governorate.
Yanbu, located on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, serves as the western terminus of the East-West Pipeline, a strategic infrastructure route that allows the kingdom to transport oil to international markets while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East war, the port and pipeline have become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia's efforts to maintain crude oil and fuel exports to global markets despite disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.