Key facts
- The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed three cruise missiles headed to the Riyadh region on November 11.
- The coalition said two drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas were intercepted and destroyed.
- Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied the group targeted Mecca with a drone.
- Saree said the Houthis attacked a pumping station in Yanbu; there was no Saudi confirmation of the statement.
- Saudi civil defense warned of danger in Taif, Yanbu and Khamis Mushait, then said it had passed, state television reported.
- A Houthi attack on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh's financial hub.
Saudi air defenses intercepted Houthi missiles and drones launched toward Riyadh, Mecca and other regions on November 11, the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Yemeni group said. The coalition said it intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles headed to the Riyadh region, two drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas, and two missiles pointed toward the west.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree later denied targeting Mecca with a drone, saying the group's operations target oil facilities and military bases. Saree also said the Houthis had attacked a pumping station in Yanbu, a Saudi oil hub that allows exports to avoid the blocked Strait of Hormuz. There was no Saudi confirmation of the Houthi statement.
Saudi civil defense issued alerts warning of potential danger in Taif, Yanbu and Khamis Mushait later on November 11, then announced the danger had passed, state television reported. Mecca, home to sites sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam's holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
The militia, which controls most of the populous parts of Yemen, has intensified attacks on the Saudi capital in recent days, saying it was responding to Saudi attacks in Yemen. A Houthi attack on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh's financial hub.
The interceptions marked the second consecutive day Saudi air defenses had intercepted Houthi missiles launched toward Riyadh, after they downed a ballistic missile and a cruise missile on Tuesday, the coalition said. Last month, a Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Renewed fighting between the two sides has intensified since September, when the Houthis advanced toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a shipping chokepoint at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Houthis have since stepped up strikes on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has ramped up airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response.