Houthi Missile Attacks Target Saudi Holy Cities
Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia continued on Friday, as air defences intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Najran and Arab states condemned an attempt to target the Madinah region.
The Houthi missile attacks were confirmed by the Saudi-led coalition, which said its air defences intercepted and destroyed both missiles. Debris fell after the interception, and damage was being assessed, the coalition said in a post on X.
In a separate post, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said a drone had been intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah region.
The attacks came a day after Arab states condemned an attempt by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group to target Saudi Arabia’s Madinah region with a ballistic missile. The coalition said on Thursday that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed that missile, while also downing a Houthi drone over the kingdom’s Eastern Province. The Houthis rejected claims that they targeted Madinah.
Houthi missile attacks: fighting in Taiz and a market strike
The Yemeni army said on Friday that it recaptured several areas in the southwestern Taiz province during fierce clashes with the Houthis. Forces backed by the Popular Resistance retook Al-Nidani village, Shaab Al-Sarari and large parts of the Sanamat area, as well as the Ribat Al-Qarn area in Dhi al-Barh, the army said.
Fighting continued on the Saber front, while government forces imposed a siege on entrances to the Al-Sarari area, according to the military. The army said the Houthis suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment, while government forces were consolidating positions in recaptured areas and clearing mines.
Separately, Yemen’s Defence Ministry said the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at the Al-Hadara popular market in Al-Wazi’iyah district of Taiz province on Friday. The attack left dozens of civilians dead and wounded, the ministry said, without giving an exact casualty figure.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, triggering years of fighting and a severe humanitarian crisis. Fighting has grown more intense in recent weeks, with the Houthis launching repeated missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory.
Arab states condemn the Madinah attempt
Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan condemned the attempt to target the Madinah region, reaffirming full solidarity with Riyadh.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry called the attempt “a blatant provocation of Muslims, a reckless disregard for civilian lives” and a breach of international law. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry called the attacks “a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, international law and international humanitarian law.”
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said targeting Madinah threatened civilians and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque and assaulted the sanctity of Islamic holy sites. It urged the UN Security Council to act. Jordan called the attempt a provocation to Muslims’ sentiments and a breach of international law and the UN Charter.
Pakistan condemns the attacks on Makkah and Madinah
Pakistan also condemned the Houthi ballistic missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s Makkah and Madinah regions. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told the weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Friday that Pakistan had strongly condemned the October 26 attacks and repeated its commitment to the Makkah Alliance for Defence.
He called the strikes a grave violation of Saudi sovereignty and a blatant disregard for the sanctity of Islam’s holiest sites and civilian safety. Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for protecting the Two Holy Mosques.
Khan also recalled that on October 28, Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, the first secretary general of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Makkah defence pact has moved fast. Turkiye’s parliament has ratified the pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and the alliance’s secretary general is set to take charge in Riyadh. Riyadh has also denied a report claiming the Houthis demanded $51 billion to halt hostilities, while Iran has engaged Pakistan to defuse tensions.
What did Saudi air defences intercept?
Air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Najran, and a drone in the Makkah region. A missile aimed at the Madinah region was also intercepted on Thursday.
What happened in Taiz?
The Yemeni army said it recaptured several areas in Taiz province, while the Defence Ministry said a Houthi missile hit a popular market in Al-Wazi’iyah district, killing and wounding dozens of civilians.
Which countries condemned the Madinah attempt?
Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan condemned the attempt, and Pakistan also condemned the Houthi attacks on the Makkah and Madinah regions.
What did Pakistan say?
The Foreign Office called the attacks a grave violation of Saudi sovereignty and reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Riyadh and its commitment to the Makkah Alliance for Defence.
