Saudi coalition says it halted Houthi attack

Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition early yesterday said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthis toward the kingdom.

The coalition said in posts on social media that the missiles were headed towards Khamis Mushait and the drones toward the capital, Riyadh, adding that it was monitoring the missile threat and drones launched at the kingdom, without providing further details.

The Saudi Civil Defense had sent alerts overnight for Khamis Mushait and Abha, but not for Riyadh.

Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, right, meets Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh on Friday.

Photo: Saudi Press Agency via Reuters

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks against Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.

The attacks have targeted Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and shipping, adding to pressures on global oil supplies caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and putting at risk the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked.

Hours earlier, the military chiefs of Saudi Arabia and defense allies Pakistan and Turkey reviewed threats facing Saudi Arabia at a meeting in the Saudi capital.

The three signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement last month, saying they would regard an armed attack on any of them to be an attack on all. They said the pact aimed to strengthen collective deterrence and military cooperation.

Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman early yesterday said that he had affirmed with Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh continued joint efforts to confront attacks against the kingdom in accordance with the pact.