Saudi Arabia said it intercepted 2 ballistic missiles and 2 drones launched by the Yemen Houthi towards the kingdom earlier on Saturday.
Earlier on September 24th, the Saudi-led coalition said their defense systems intercepted six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu areas.
“Air defences intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards the Riyadh area,” the coalition spokesman said on X.Saudi air defence systems shot down a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait, a city in the kingdom’s southwest, before it could hit its target — an air base the spokesperson added.
Calling the attack a rehearsal, Hezam Alasad, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, said on Saturday, “Despite the operation’s strength, scope, and impact, our armed forces view it as merely a small-scale rehearsal for a full-scale escalation.”
The group also said it targeted sensitive sites in Riyadh and Yanbu. Saudi authorities confirmed on September 19th that the Houthis attacked Riyadh. The attack set off emergency alerts across the capital, and people on the ground reported seeing black smoke rising from a Saudi Aramco fuel storage site near the airport.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, Houthi forces have been seeking strategic high ground along routes connecting the Red Sea coast with other parts of the country. Government-aligned forces recently pushed back a Houthi advance near the Taiz-Aden road.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held discussion on defence coordination following the recent attacks.”The senior military officials agreed to deepen their military and intelligence cooperation, and enhance the integration of defensive capabilities under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed last month by the three countries, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said.
The talks come under the recently signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the defense accord on Aug. 7. It states that any armed attack against one of the countries would be considered an attack against all three, and commits them to the expansion of defense cooperation and a strengthening of collective deterrence.
Additionally, France has offered military assistance to help protect Yanbu. French President Emmanuel Macron said France could provide military assets, including personnel, radars and defence systems, to support the protection of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea oil terminal.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman also received Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir on Friday.
“We welcomed the outcomes of the Chiefs of Staff meeting under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, and discussed the heinous attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah and the Kingdom’s civilian and economic infrastructure,” Prince Khalid wrote on social media.
Oil prices rose by around 3% on September 24, as traders assessed the possible impact of the attacks on Saudi energy supplies and shipping routes. The renewed Saudi and Houthi conflict is taking place amidst the broader Middle East conflict involving Iran, with the Houthis adding pressure around Bab al-Mandab, raising tensions in the energy market.