Turki al‑Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi‑led coalition, posted on X on Friday that forces had intercepted a Houthi‑launched drone over Riyadh province and a ballistic missile aimed at the southern region. The drone, a low‑altitude surveillance model, was reportedly shot down by fighter jets hours before a scheduled airstrike in the capital, while the missile—believed to have been fired from Yemen’s Hodeidah port—was intercepted by the coalition’s air defence system.
Earlier that day, the coalition also claimed to have destroyed a Houthi drone in the Mecca region, a claim the militia denied. The Mecca intercept followed a series of missile launches targeting Saudi airspace over the past weeks, raising fears of an escalation into the holy city.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree slammed the Saudi statements as a "massive and egregious fabrication," accusing the coalition of launching a propaganda campaign to justify its campaign in Yemen.
Since 2015, the Saudi‑led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, while the Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at Saudi targets. The latest intercepts underscore the deadly cat‑and‑mouse game that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions.
The Houthi militia spokesman Yahya Saree called the statement a fabrication, prompting international observers to demand independent verification of the intercepted drone and missile claims.