The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen announced on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the Medina region in western Saudi Arabia. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki confirmed the operation in a brief statement released on X.
The official statement did not specify the origin of the missile launch or identify its intended target. Furthermore, no information regarding potential casualties or physical damage resulting from the incident was provided. This event occurs amid a period of heightened missile and drone activity directed at Saudi Arabia by the Houthi militia, with recent strikes targeting energy facilities and airports.
The coalition previously accused the Houthis of executing a drone attack on the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina on September 29. According to al-Maliki, that strike disabled a transformer but did not cause a failure of the electricity grid. The facility is of particular significance as it provides power to the Prophet's Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam.
Thursday's interception follows a sequence of similar security incidents. Earlier that same day, the coalition reported the interception and destruction of a drone over the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the coalition announced on Wednesday that it had successfully destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in support of the Yemeni government against the Houthi militia since 2015. The Houthi group has maintained control over the capital, Sanaa, and several other provinces since 2014.
