The Saudi-led coalition announced on Saturday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile launched by the Houthi militia toward the Riyadh region. Major General Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokesman, shared the information on the social media platform X.
The announcement occurs during a period of escalating hostilities between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi group. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition to support Yemen's internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who seized the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country the previous year.
On Friday, the Yemeni army reported that it recaptured several areas in the southwestern Taiz province following intense clashes with the Houthis. According to the army, forces supported by the Popular Resistance took back Al-Nidani village, Shaab Al-Sarari, and large parts of the Sanamat area, along with the Ribat Al-Qarn area in Dhi al-Barh.
The Yemeni Defence Ministry accused the Houthi group of firing a ballistic missile at a popular market during these clashes, which the ministry claimed killed and wounded dozens of civilians.
The military stated that the Houthis suffered heavy losses in equipment and personnel during the operation. Government forces were reported to be consolidating their positions in the recaptured areas and clearing mines, while fighting continued on the Saber front. The army also noted that government forces imposed a siege on the entrances to the Al-Sarari area.
