Two Houthi ballistic missiles shot down over Saudi Arabia; two injured by debris

RIYADH: Two ballistic missiles fired towards the southern Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah were destroyed in the air, but debris from them injured two people. Saudi Civil Defence said on Sunday that the debris also damaged three residential buildings and seven vehicles.

According to Anadolu Agency, a Civil Defence statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said the injured included one Saudi citizen and one Asian national. The missiles had been fired by Yemen’s Houthi group towards the south of the kingdom.

Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said a Houthi ballistic missile fired towards the capital, Riyadh, on Sunday morning and a drone over the Riyadh area were destroyed. A cruise missile fired towards the south-western city of Khamis Mushait was also intercepted. The coalition later announced that it had shot down 10 ballistic missiles fired towards southern Saudi Arabia. According to Anadolu, the coalition said it had destroyed 12 missiles and two drones in total. According to The Express Tribune, emergency alerts were issued for Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, and the all-clear was announced a few minutes later.

The attacks came as operations were restored at two terminals of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The airport had closed after a Houthi attack on 10 October, in which 13 people were killed and more than 300 injured. According to the airport, international flights will operate from Terminal 2 and domestic flights from Terminal 1. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned airlines and passengers that the airport was unsafe and a military target.

According to Al Jazeera, the Houthis claimed on Saturday to have targeted three Saudi airports, energy facilities, a pipeline and an air base. Saudi Civil Defence reported debris falling in the Makkah and Madinah regions after two missiles were intercepted. The Houthis called this a “big lie”.

In Yemen, the Houthis advanced towards Jabal Sabir, a strategic mountain overlooking the city of Taiz. According to the United Nations, 800,000 people are trapped in the city and time to deliver aid is running out fast. Yemeni government forces claimed on Saturday to have carried out more than 700 operations against Houthi targets and killed more than 300 fighters.