Arab coalition urges Houthis to halt attacks on civilians, vital sites in Yemen

On October 15 in Riyadh, the Saudi-led coalition combating Yemen's Houthis announced the interception of a cruise missile in the Medina region, a city housing one of Islam's most sacred sites. However, the Houthis denied any involvement in the attack, stating they had not targeted the region and had previously pledged to protect Medina and Mecca.

Saudi Arabia has recently faced repeated Houthi strikes, with a notable assault on Riyadh's international airport considered the kingdom's most devastating in years. In response, Riyadh retaliated by targeting the Houthi stronghold in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Medina, the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed and home to the Prophet's Mosque, is one of Islam's holiest cities, alongside Mecca.

The Houthis have vowed to persist in targeting Saudi airports and other locations, but on Sunday, they reassured that Mecca and Medina would be spared. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree dismissed Saudi claims of an attack on Medina as a "shameless and brazen lie". Earlier, the Houthis claimed to have struck facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco, with reports of an attack on a building housing the energy giant's operations center.

The Saudi coalition has been providing military support to Yemen's government against the Houthis since 2015 in a protracted civil war that has resulted in a humanitarian crisis.