Saudi-led coalition says it intercepts three Houthi ballistic missiles toward Riyadh and Khamis Mushait

Saudi Arabia says its coalition forces intercepted three ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement on Thursday, including two aimed at the capital, Riyadh, and one directed at Khamis Mushait near the Yemeni border. The announcement came amid a renewed exchange of cross-border attacks that has raised concern over civilian risk and aviation security in the kingdom. Saudi officials said debris from one intercepted missile caused material damage in Riyadh.

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Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the missiles were destroyed before reaching their targets. Saudi civil defence said falling debris damaged a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex in Riyadh, although it did not say whether anyone was hurt. The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the group had launched a ballistic missile toward King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and claimed it hit its intended target, causing damage and disrupting air traffic.

Witnesses in Riyadh reported hearing several explosions, including one near the airport, but the reports could not be independently verified. The incident adds to a series of recent attacks and counterclaims involving airports and airspace in Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have warned aviation companies to avoid Saudi airspace, saying aircraft operating there are targets except over Mecca and Medina.

In the days before Thursday's interception, the group said it had targeted Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in separate attacks. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said at least three civilians were killed and 36 injured in earlier incidents, underlining the potential for wider harm beyond military targets. The latest missile exchange matters because it highlights the continuing spillover from the Yemen conflict into Saudi territory.

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The Saudi-led coalition is fighting on behalf of Yemen's internationally recognised government, while the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have repeatedly used drones and missiles against Saudi targets. Airports are especially sensitive sites because any disruption can affect civilian travel, commercial operations and confidence in regional air safety. The competing claims also show how difficult it is to establish what happened immediately after such attacks.

There is also a recent pattern of strikes and interceptions around Riyadh. Saudi-led coalition forces said on September 18 that they intercepted a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh's airport from Yemen. A day later, Saudi officials reported an explosion near the airport and smoke rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport.

Those earlier incidents, together with Thursday's claims, suggest the airport and the capital remain central flashpoints in the wider conflict. What remains unclear is whether the missile claimed by the Houthis actually struck the airport, and whether there were any injuries from the debris in Riyadh. Saudi authorities have not yet given a full public assessment of the damage, and the Houthis have not provided independent evidence for their claim.

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