Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday, 24 September 2026, that it had intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched by Ansar Allah (the Houthis) towards Taif and Yanbu. The group, meanwhile, announced attacks targeting Riyadh and facilities belonging to Aramco in Yanbu, amid escalating military confrontations inside Yemen and widening security repercussions beyond its borders.
Brigadier General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, said Saudi air defences had thwarted an attempt to target Taif and Yanbu after intercepting and destroying the six missiles. He added that the Houthi group's escalation and violations «would be dealt with firmly».
Warnings precede the lifting of alerts in Saudi areas
The coalition's announcement was preceded by alerts issued through the National Early Warning Platform for emergencies, covering the city of Makkah and the governorates of Taif, Jeddah and Yanbu, as well as Tabuk Province. Saudi Civil Defence later announced that the danger had passed and lifted the warnings issued during the period of threat.
The Houthi group, meanwhile, said it had carried out attacks using missiles and drones against what it described as a «sensitive target» in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as well as Aramco facilities in the Red Sea coastal city of Yanbu. These details remain the group's stated account of the targets it said it had attacked.
Previous round included interception of a missile headed towards Riyadh
The development came days after a previous round of attacks. On 19 September 2026, Saudi Arabia announced the interception of a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh, while the coalition said air defences had also thwarted attempts to target civilians and civilian objects in Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu. On the same day, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out two operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
He added that the first operation had targeted, according to his account, sensitive sites in Riyadh, while the second targeted Aramco in Yanbu. Saree said the two 19 September operations were carried out in response to accusations that the group had attempted to target Makkah and to air strikes that he said had targeted areas under Houthi control.
He also announced that the group would continue targeting what he described as Saudi military build-ups until the blockade ended. The Yemeni government, for its part, condemned on 20 September the launch of a ballistic missile towards Riyadh and attempts to target other Saudi cities and areas, and announced its solidarity with the kingdom and support for the measures it was taking to protect its territory and residents.
Yemeni government condemns attacks and supports Saudi measures
It held the Houthi group responsible for the attacks and their repercussions, and accused Iran of continuing to provide military support to the group. The exchange of attacks coincides with continuing confrontations between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group on several fronts, amid growing security and humanitarian repercussions.
The targeting of areas inside Saudi Arabia adds a new regional dimension to the escalation, particularly as declared threats against cities and facilities on the Red Sea coast continue to recur.
