Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted 11 Houthi drones and a ballistic missile
RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi group said on Thursday that its air defences intercepted and destroyed 11 drones and a ballistic missile, as the confrontation between the two sides intensified.
The Saudi coalition intercepts Houthi drones over a wide arc of the kingdom. The drones were brought down over Riyadh, Medina, the Eastern Province and the southern region, while the ballistic missile was intercepted as it headed toward Najran in southwestern Saudi Arabia, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in statements posted on X.
In its latest statement on Thursday, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two drones launched toward the southern region. Earlier, it reported the interception of four drones over Riyadh and Medina, one over Riyadh and four over the Eastern Province.
The statements did not say where the drones came from or whether the interceptions caused damage or injuries.
Saudi coalition intercepts Houthi drones after deadly Eastern Province attacks
The announcements came a day after Saudi authorities reported four people killed in attacks in the country’s Eastern Province.
Two died from falling debris after air defences stopped a drone strike on an Aramco oil facility. Two others were killed in an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
The coalition also reported intercepting seven drones on Wednesday, including one heading toward the southern region and six over Medina and the Eastern Province.
A confrontation that keeps widening
Thursday’s claims are the latest turn in a confrontation that has been widening for weeks. Earlier on Thursday, the Houthis claimed strikes on the Saudi defence ministry and an Aramco facility in Yanbu, and a missile fired toward Najran was reported just a day earlier.
Pakistan has condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi sites, including the strike on a power station in Madinah, and the Makkah alliance framework treats the defence of Saudi territory as a joint concern.
The economic stakes are rising alongside the military ones. Global markets are already on edge: the International Energy Agency has released 325 million barrels from emergency oil stocks this month, and analysts have warned of $200 oil if the Middle East crisis deepens.
For Pakistan, the link is direct. Higher crude prices feed into the fortnightly fuel price mechanism, and pump prices were revised again on October 23.
Riyadh postpones UN data forum to 2027
Separately, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics postponed the United Nations Global Data Forum and the Second Saudi Statistical Forum — previously scheduled for November 9 to 12, 2026, in Riyadh — to 2027.
The authority announced the decision in a statement. No reason was given, but the postponement of a major international event in the Saudi capital, coming amid the security escalation, will be read as a signal of how seriously Riyadh is taking the current threat environment.
Oil spill shuts UAE beaches
In a separate development, an oil spill from a tanker was detected off the coast of Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said containment operations and environmental assessments were under way.
All beaches in Umm Al Quwain were closed until assessments finish, and sea users were told to stay clear.
The announcement followed reports of a strange odour by residents in some emirates on social media. The ministry said the odours reported in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain posed no health risks.
Sources: The Express Tribune reported the coalition’s claims.
FAQ
How many drones did the Saudi-led coalition say it intercepted?
The coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed 11 drones — over Riyadh, Medina, the Eastern Province and the southern region — plus one ballistic missile headed toward Najran.
What happened in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province a day earlier?
Saudi authorities reported four people killed in attacks: two died from falling debris after air defences thwarted a drone strike on an Aramco oil facility, and two were killed in an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
Why did Saudi Arabia postpone the UN Global Data Forum?
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics postponed the forum, scheduled for November 9 to 12, 2026, in Riyadh, to 2027. No reason was given in the announcement.
