Forces operating under the Saudi-led military coalition intercepted six ballistic missiles launched toward sovereign Saudi territory on Thursday, September 24, defense officials in Riyadh announced. The munitions allegedly targeted the southwestern city of Taif alongside the Red Sea port of Yanbu, home to major petrochemical infrastructure. The Houthi movement in Yemen issued no immediate acknowledgment regarding the operation.
Air defense interceptors neutralized the threats before impact.
Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the coalition supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemen, confirmed that ground-based defense batteries stopped the incoming barrages. In a parallel operational engagement, a Patriot air defense system manned by Greek armed forces personnel near Yanbu intercepted an incoming ballistic missile and a drone. European security officials disclosed that the battery fired two interceptor missiles to eliminate both targets over the strategic hub. The installations at Yanbu function as the kingdom primary crude shipping alternative whenever transit through the Strait of Hormuz encounters disruption.
Civil defense authorities issued widespread hazard warnings across multiple provinces.
Emergency alerts were briefly dispatched to populations within the holy city of Mecca, Tabuk, coastal Jeddah, Yanbu, and Taif. Public safety officials subsequently rescinded the shelter notices, confirming that incoming aerial hazards had been neutralized.
Heavy ground fighting simultaneously unfolded inside Yemen, with government troops countering offensive movements along strategic corridors in Taiz.
