Saudi coalition says missiles, drones intercepted

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said Friday it intercepted and destroyed missiles and drones over Riyadh, other Saudi areas, the Red Sea and Yanbu.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki wrote on X that the coalition had intercepted and destroyed three drones in the southern area and Riyadh, and two cruise missiles over the Red Sea. He also said that, in the past hours, the coalition had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile over Yanbu, a Red Sea city that is home to the terminus of a major oil pipeline.

Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Houthis. The kingdom has come under repeated attacks since Yemen's civil war flared again in July, including strikes on Red Sea tankers, oil facilities and Riyadh's international airport.

The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned continued and escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, as well as attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

A Saudi foreign ministry official accused Iran on Thursday of continuing to arm, train and support the Houthis in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Iran's role in the latest attacks was not independently established in the supplied information.

In Yemen, government forces have launched a counteroffensive with Saudi air support to retake areas seized by the Houthis along the Red Sea coast, but have not reversed their gains.

On Thursday, the Houthis launched a missile attack on the presidential palace in Aden, the interim seat of Yemen's government, killing five people and wounding 16, according to the health minister. Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani denounced the attack, and a government minister said Zindani had been present but was not harmed.

A government minister said the Houthis hit a command centre for Yemeni government forces at the palace complex with three missiles and another for Saudi coalition forces with two missiles. Houthi-affiliated media said the group targeted military operations headquarters led by Saudi officers at Al-Maashiq Palace and weapons depots belonging to them.