Saudi coalition intercepts missile fired towards Medina

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis has said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-aligned armed group towards the Medina region, home to one of Islam’s holiest cities. The announcement on Thursday came just minutes after Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency warned of potential danger in the area near the strategic port of Yanbu.

“Air defence 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, an armed group also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God), have rejected any suggestion they were targeting the city, saying such accusations were a “blatant and grave falsehood”.

Houthi Military spokesman Yahya Saree wrote on X that “our operations target only oil facilities and military bases” and called the allegation a lie. Among their attacks on airports, energy infrastructure and military sites, the Houthis have targeted the port of Yanbu on several occasions in recent months.