Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted four drones and two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthis on Thursday, as cross-border attacks intensified amid renewed fighting inside Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition said one ballistic missile was intercepted over Khamis Mushait and another over Jazan in southern Saudi Arabia, while four drones were destroyed over Khamis Mushait.
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said Saudi forces would continue taking operational measures to deter further attacks.
The interceptions came hours after the coalition accused the Houthis of carrying out a drone strike on the Taiba electricity distribution station in Medina on Tuesday.
Saudi authorities said an investigation, including an examination of wreckage from the drone, concluded that the Houthis were responsible for the attack.
The strike knocked one transformer out of service but did not disrupt the wider electricity network. The station provides electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque and other facilities in Medina.
The Houthis denied responsibility for the Medina attack.
A Houthi military source quoted by the Houthi-run Saba news agency described the Saudi accusation as false and said Riyadh was seeking to bolster earlier allegations that the group had attempted to target the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
Saudi Arabia said the Medina incident formed part of what it described as repeated attempts by the Houthis to threaten the kingdom’s holy sites.
The UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan condemned the attack, while the Gulf Cooperation Council expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia. The UAE Foreign Ministry called the strike a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to the kingdom’s security and stability.
The escalation comes as fighting has also intensified inside Yemen.
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces said Thursday they had repelled a major Houthi offensive in Taiz province, where the two sides have fought for control of strategic roads and positions.
The renewed clashes follow significant Houthi territorial advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in recent weeks and a sharp increase in missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory.
Last week, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired toward Yanbu and Taif, while separate Houthi attacks have targeted Riyadh and other areas of the kingdom.
The escalation has raised concerns over Saudi energy infrastructure and regional shipping routes at a time of wider tensions involving Iran and the United States. Saudi Arabia has recently restored operations on its East-West oil pipeline and tanker loading at Yanbu following earlier disruptions linked to drone attacks.
