Saudi-led coalition intercepts, destroys 2 Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh

Saudi Civil Defence issued emergency warnings in Riyadh, Al-Kharj and Najran before announcing danger had passed

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government announced on Thursday that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said air defence systems intercepted and destroyed the two missiles targeting Riyadh.

التحالف:

الدفاع الجوي اعترض ودمر صاروخين باليستيين أطلقتهما الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية باتجاه الرياض. pic.twitter.com/t9h5hnnXFi

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) October 29, 2026

Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued emergency warnings in Riyadh, the Al-Kharj governorate in central Saudi Arabia, and the southern city of Najran through the National Early Warning Platform.

تم إطلاق إنذار من المنصة الوطنية للإنذار المبكر في حالات الطوارئ في مدينة نجران للتحذير من خطر، اتبع الآتي:

A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Najran City to alert of a potential danger. Please follow the instructions below: pic.twitter.com/tTprM5lDeu

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

تم إطلاق إنذار من المنصة الوطنية للإنذار المبكر في حالات الطوارئ في مدينة الرياض للتحذير من خطر، اتبع الآتي:

A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Riyadh City to alert of a potential danger. Please follow the instructions below: pic.twitter.com/7mQI8nvVNM

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

تم إطلاق إنذار من المنصة الوطنية للإنذار المبكر في حالات الطوارئ في محافظة الخرج للتحذير من خطر، اتبع الآتي:

A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Al-Kharj Governorate to warn of a danger, follow the instructions below : pic.twitter.com/8JjRgmIcN9

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

Explosions were heard in Najran and Riyadh city and province, followed by a warning of an aerial threat posing a potential danger to three cities.

The authorities warned that the capital Riyadh was "under a hostile aerial threat" in a phone alert, as AFP correspondents heard at least eight explosions.

"Warning: city of Riyadh is under a hostile aerial threat," the alert read, while civil defence issued warnings for "potential danger" in Riyadh, Kharj and the southern city of Najran.

Minutes later, the agency announced that the danger had passed, urging residents to continue following safety instructions and avoid gathering or filming.

تنبيه زال الخطر عن مدينة نجران، لسلامتك الاستمرار في اتباع تعليمات #الدفاع_المدني وتجنب التجمهر والتصوير نهائيًا. في حالة الطوارئ اتصل بالرقم (998).

Alert: The danger has passed in Najran City. For your safety, continue following #CivilDefense instructions and avoid gathering… pic.twitter.com/VLYX9WGU1W

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

تنبيه زال الخطر عن مدينة الرياض، لسلامتك الاستمرار في اتباع تعليمات #الدفاع_المدني وتجنب التجمهر والتصوير نهائيًا. في حالة الطوارئ اتصل بالرقم (911).

Alert: The danger has passed in Riyadh City. For your safety, continue following #CivilDefense instructions and avoid gathering… pic.twitter.com/IomPlDwzQ0

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

تنبيه زال الخطر عن محافظة الخرج، لسلامتك الاستمرار في اتباع تعليمات #الدفاع_المدني وتجنب التجمهر والتصوير نهائيًا. في حالة الطوارئ اتصل بالرقم (911).

Alert: The danger has passed in Al-Kharj Governorate. For your safety, continue following #CivilDefense instructions and avoid… pic.twitter.com/L31jup3Abs

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

تصوير أو نشر أو تداول معلومات ذات صلة بالتصدي للصواريخ والطائرات المسيرة ومواقع سقوطها يعرضك للمساءلة القانونية.

#وزارة_الداخلية

Filming, publishing, or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.… pic.twitter.com/LrpP8RBcPr

— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) October 29, 2026

Houthis report deadly attacks in western Yemen

Earlier, the Houthis reported deadly strikes on residential areas of western Yemen, blamed on their Saudi foe.

"As an initial toll, 12 citizens were killed, and three others were critically injured when the Saudi enemy targeted the homes of the families of Ibrahim Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al-Qouz and Al-Raabi Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al-Qouz in Al-Barah, Maqbana district," the Houthi health ministry said in a statement shared by the group's Saba news agency.

Yemen escalation kills nearly 1,700: UN agency

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) provided an updated toll for Yemen, reporting nearly 1,700 deaths and more than 7,000 injuries since August amid a military escalation.

In a report, the agency recorded 1,677 deaths and 7,395 injuries during the period, including 559 casualties between Oct. 20 and 25 alone, averaging about 93 casualties a day.

Fighting continued during the reporting period in the governorates of Taiz, Lahj, and Marib, while lower casualty figures were recorded in Aden, Al-Dhalea, and Shabwa, according to the report.

Read: Houthis strike Aden airport

The WHO said it delivered 56 trauma and emergency kits to the city of Taiz on Oct. 24, including 46 kits for trauma care and 10 for emergency health services.

The delivery also included around 30 metric tons of medical supplies for three hospitals and one health center.

The agency warned that only six of 31 mobile medical teams remained operational in Marib, leaving residents struggling to access health services amid damage to health facilities and shortages of supplies.

Al-Thawra General Hospital in Taiz city came under fire on Oct. 20, leaving three soldiers and one patient injured, according to the WHO.

The agency warned that continued disruption to essential services and shortages of medicines, fuel, and water, along with inadequate waste management, were increasing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, particularly in Taiz.

Earlier in the day, clashes had resumed between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group on several fronts south of Taiz, Yemen Today TV reported on Thursday.

The channel said fighting had resumed on the Al-Aqroudh and Al-Masrakh fronts, as well as in Al-Rahn village in the Sabir al-Mawadim district.

In a related development, Aden International Airport resumed flights.

The airport and nearby areas were targeted by missile attacks following Houthi threats to strike the facility.

On Wednesday, a missile landed at Al-Nasr Camp, adjacent to the airport, where Yemeni Coast Guard forces and Interior Ministry headquarters are located, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

Houthi ballistic missile targeting eastern Saudi Arabia intercepted: Coalition

Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi group toward the kingdom’s Eastern Province early on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki announced the interception on the US social media platform X, without providing further details or reporting casualties or damage.

التحالف:

الدفاع الجوي اعترض ودمر صاروخ باليستي أطلقته الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية باتجاه المنطقة الشرقية. pic.twitter.com/1vui0ifNMa

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) October 29, 2026

Before the interception was announced, Saudi Civil Defence issued an early warning alert in the Eastern Province over an unspecified threat. It subsequently announced the all-clear for the Eastern Province and Najran.

On Wednesday, the coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward the western Saudi city of Taif.

Read: Yemeni armed forces call for evacuation of Aden airport: Iranian media

Late Tuesday, debris from two intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles damaged a building, a construction project and a vehicle in the capital Riyadh, according to Civil Defence. Its statement did not report any casualties.

The interceptions came amid escalating hostilities between the Houthi group and the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Taiz, Yemen’s most populous province, remains divided between government forces and the Houthis. Government forces control Taiz city, the provincial capital, and other parts of the province.

Since July, military escalation between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has resumed, particularly in Taiz and Lahj, killing and injuring thousands, according to UN reports.

Yemen has been at war since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.