Saudi-led coalition says it shot down six Houthi ballistic missiles

September 24, 2026 at 07:56 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis toward Taif and Yanbu on Thursday. Greek-operated Patriot air defenses also shot down a ballistic missile and a drone in the Yanbu region, a Greek security source told Reuters. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility.

Key Facts

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired toward Taif and Yanbu on Thursday.
Greek-operated Patriot air defenses shot down a ballistic missile and a drone in the wider Yanbu region, a Greek security source told Reuters.
Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Civil Defence issued alerts for Mecca, Tabuk, Jeddah, Yanbu, and Taif, later saying the threat had passed.
Last week, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis toward Mecca, an accusation the group denied.
Yemeni government forces said they repelled Houthi attacks along several fronts in Taiz governorate on Thursday.

Missile Interceptions

Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-backed Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said the missiles were destroyed on Thursday in the direction of Taif and Yanbu. Saudi air defenses intercepted some of the missiles attempting to target the cities, al-Malki told the Saudi Press Agency. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Houthis or other groups.

Greek Patriot Defense

Reuters reported that an air defense system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone on Thursday in the wider Yanbu region. A Greek security source told Reuters that the Greek Patriot system launched two missiles and that both the drone and the ballistic missile were shot down. A second source confirmed the information to Reuters.

Regional Security Alerts

Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Civil Defence issued alerts warning of potential danger in Mecca, Tabuk, Jeddah, Yanbu, and Taif. The directorate later said the threat had passed and the cities were out of danger. Last week, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis toward Mecca, an accusation the group strongly denied. Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi called the Saudi claims "a heinous lie".