On November 5, Saudi Arabia’s military coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile it said was fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement and headed toward the wider Medina region, while the Houthis denied targeting the holy city.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki announced the interception in a post on X. He gave few details about where the missile was intercepted or what it was aimed at. The announcement came minutes after Saudi Civil Defense warned of possible danger near Yanbu.
Yanbu is a Red Sea port and oil-export hub. The agency later said the danger had passed. Officials did not establish a connection between the warning and the missile report.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree rejected the accusation and called it false. He said the group’s operations targeted Saudi oil facilities and military bases. The coalition referred to the Medina region.
Its statement did not say the missile was headed for the city itself. The reported interception came amid renewed cross-border fighting and a series of recent missile and drone incidents involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.