Coalition intercepts 3 new Houthi cruise missiles headed for Riyadh

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said air defenses intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Riyadh region, a day after the group announced four operations involving missiles and drones against Saudi targets.

The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Wednesday, November 11, that air defenses had intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles launched by the Houthi group toward the Riyadh region.

Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition forces, said in a statement: “Air defense systems intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the Riyadh region.” The statement included no details about damage or casualties, and the Houthis issued no immediate comment.

This was the second interception over the Saudi capital in two days. On Tuesday, the coalition announced that it had intercepted a ballistic missile and a cruise missile in the skies over Riyadh, as well as a second ballistic missile over the southern part of the kingdom.

Yemeni security personnel on a street in Yemen (Anadolu)

Aramco and King Khalid International Airport among announced targets

The announcement came a day after the Houthi group said it had carried out four military operations using ballistic missiles and drones. It said the operations targeted sites in Saudi Arabia, including a facility belonging to oil company Aramco and King Khalid International Airport, as well as gatherings it said belonged to Saudi forces inside Yemen.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have intensified since last July, involving missiles and drones targeting civilian airports and energy facilities. The coalition accuses the group of receiving Iranian support.

“Dawn of Yemen” and casualty figures

The “Dawn of Yemen” military operation, which began on October 5, 2026, is continuing. Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi said the operation aims to restore state institutions from the Houthi group and establish control over the capital, Sanaa. These are the broadest clashes since the truce that began in April 2022 and brought relative calm to the country.

A World Health Organization report said the escalation between government forces and the Houthis since August had killed 2,098 people and injured 9,657 others as of November 8. Yemen has been at war since the Houthis took control of Sanaa and other governorates in September 2014, while the coalition has conducted military operations since March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

Photos: Anadolu. Sources: Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, Anadolu Agency.

Coalition intercepts 3 new Houthi cruise missiles headed for Riyadh