Riyadh: The Saudi led military coalition in Yemen said on Saturday that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile launched by the Houthi movement towards the Riyadh region.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al Maliki confirmed the interception in a statement published on social media platform X, accusing the Houthis of launching the missile towards the Saudi capital's region.
The coalition did not disclose the missile's intended target, the precise location of the interception or whether debris caused any damage.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, while the Houthis did not publicly respond to the Saudi coalition's allegation at the time of the announcement.
Second reported interception in three days
The incident follows a separate missile interception reported by Saudi authorities on Thursday, when the coalition said it destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards the Medina region.
That announcement came shortly after Saudi Civil Defence issued a security warning concerning a possible threat near Yanbu, an important Red Sea port and oil export terminal.
Authorities did not establish whether the warning and the reported missile interception were connected.
The latest incident comes amid renewed hostilities between the Saudi led coalition and the Houthi movement, which controls Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north.
Saudi Arabia led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government since March 2015, following the Houthis' takeover of Sanaa in 2014.
Fighting continues in Yemen
The reported missile interception also follows renewed fighting in Yemen's southwestern Taiz province.
On Friday, Yemeni government forces claimed to recapture several areas during clashes with the Houthis.
Yemen's Defence Ministry also accused the group of launching a ballistic missile towards a crowded market, causing civilian casualties.
The claims from the opposing sides were not independently verified.
The latest developments come as regional diplomatic efforts continue to contain wider Middle East tensions.
Saudi authorities did not announce further details about Saturday's interception, while independent confirmation of the circumstances remains unavailable.
