Saudi-led coalition intercepts drones as Egypt weighs sending help

What the report says

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels said it intercepted and destroyed four drones over Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh region, the Eastern Province and the south, according to a statement from coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki. Al Jazeera reported that the announcement came amid a continuing wave of Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and oil-related sites.

The article said al-Maliki also shared footage that he described as showing Saudi air defenses intercepting cruise missiles and drones and hitting Houthi ballistic missile launchers. Al Jazeera noted that Riyadh’s King Khalid airport has faced repeated attacks since fighting escalated in July, including one attack last week that killed 13 people. The report also cited recent violence in Yemen, including missile strikes near the presidential palace in Aden and claims by Yemen’s internationally recognized government that Houthi forces fired missiles at Aden airport.

The piece also highlighted regional concern over the conflict. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Egypt would take measures to protect Saudi Arabia if asked, while stressing that Cairo was not seeking to enter regional wars. Egypt’s parliament was scheduled to hold an emergency session at his request, Al Jazeera reported. Separately, Saudi authorities have blamed Iran for encouraging Houthi escalation, while Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran supported a political process as the only lasting solution. The report said some embassies in Saudi Arabia had tightened travel advice and that education officials extended remote learning in parts of Riyadh.