Saudi Coalition Intercepts Houthi Missiles and Drones Targeting Riyadh and Southern Saudi Arabia

Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted a renewed wave of Houthi missile and drone fire on Sunday, shooting down a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, a drone over the capital region, and a cruise missile directed at the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, according to Al Jazeera. The coalition later said it had also intercepted 10 ballistic missiles fired toward southern Saudi Arabia, even as explosions were heard over the Saudi capital.

Sunday's Intercepted Barrage

Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki confirmed the interceptions in a statement reported by Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera's account of Sunday's intercepted attacks on Riyadh and Khamis Mushait did not report casualties or material damage. By contrast, the Houthi strike that hit Riyadh's airport on October 10 killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others, according to Al Jazeera.

The Sunday barrage followed a Saturday wave in which the Houthis said they targeted three Saudi airports, including one in Riyadh, along with energy installations, a pipeline and an airbase, per Al Jazeera's reporting. Saudi civil defence authorities said they responded to falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions on Saturday after intercepting two Houthi missiles there. The Houthis denied targeting the two holy cities, calling the Saudi claim a "huge lie," according to Al Jazeera.

Airport Operations in Flux

The renewed strikes came just as King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was attempting to restart service. Al Jazeera reported that operations resumed at two terminals ahead of Sunday's attacks, with international flights returning to Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 designated for domestic flights, following a Saturday-night statement from the airport. The airport had been closed since October 10, when a Houthi attack killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, per Al Jazeera.

The partial reopening took on added uncertainty after Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree issued a statement, cited by Al Jazeera, warning that the airport remains "unsafe" and a "military target." Saree said the group was cautioning "all international, regional and local airlines ... as well as staff and travellers against using King Khalid airport in Riyadh," and warned that "the Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport."

Investigations and Statements

Separately from Sunday's events, two regional officials told the Associated Press, as reported by WSVN, that Saudi authorities had opened an investigation into why the country's air defenses failed to intercept the earlier barrage of missiles and drones, including the attack on Riyadh airport that killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300.

Wider Conflict Context

The exchange unfolded alongside intensified ground fighting in Yemen. Al Jazeera reported that Houthi forces advanced on Jabal Sabr, the mountain overlooking Taiz, a city where the United Nations has warned that "time is running out" to deliver aid to 800,000 trapped residents. Yemen's internationally recognized government forces said they carried out more than 700 operations against Houthi targets on Saturday, claiming more than 300 fighters killed, according to Al Jazeera's reporting.

Bottom Line

Sunday's interceptions mark a continuation, not a resolution, of the missile and drone exchanges that have disrupted Saudi airspace and air travel through October. With King Khalid airport only partially reopened and the Houthis publicly warning airlines against using it, the operational risk to Riyadh's aviation infrastructure remains unresolved, and the Saudi investigation into earlier air-defense gaps has not yet yielded public findings.