Saudi air defences intercept Houthi barrage near Mecca

What the report says

Saudi authorities said air defences intercepted a wave of Houthi-fired missiles and drones over parts of Saudi Arabia, including projectiles aimed near Mecca and other cities. According to Al Jazeera’s report, debris from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell in locations including Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh and Wadi Al-Mughammas in Mecca province, while another drone and missile were stopped over Riyadh. Officials also said a cruise missile heading toward Khamis Mushait was intercepted by midday Sunday.

The Saudi-led coalition said the barrage began on Saturday evening and included 10 ballistic missiles directed at the kingdom’s southern region. The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general condemned the strikes as a violation of the sanctity of the holy sites, while the Houthis denied targeting Islamic holy places. The report said the latest exchange comes amid a broader escalation in the Saudi-Houthi conflict, with repeated missile and drone attacks in recent weeks against civilian and military sites.

The article also noted disruptions at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, where some services were being reorganized after earlier attacks. More broadly, it placed the incident in the context of Yemen’s long-running war, renewed fighting around Sanaa and the west coast, and growing humanitarian strain in Taiz, where rights groups warn that a Houthi siege is worsening shortages for patients and civilians.