Saudi says intercepted ‘hostile drone’ in Riyadh region

Saudi authorities announced on Saturday that they had intercepted a hostile drone in the Riyadh region, as reported by Turki al-Malki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition combating Yemen's Houthis. The Saudi air defenses successfully intercepted the drone and destroyed it, with debris falling from the incident but no injuries reported.

The Houthi group, backed by Iran, had earlier claimed to have targeted the Medina region, Islam's second holiest city, but later discredited the assertion. In recent weeks, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have intensified their assaults on Saudi Arabia, including deadly strikes on Riyadh airport that led to its closure for two weeks and the cancellation of significant events, putting the kingdom's economic diversification efforts at risk.

Al-Malki did not disclose the identity of the drone's operator. The Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, airports, and ships have escalated following the resumption of hostilities in Yemen between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government, supported by Riyadh, in the summer. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 1,600 deaths and 275,000 displaced individuals, according to UN statistics.

In July, the 2022 truce, which was already fragile, collapsed after the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in violation of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace. This led to a series of attacks, the declaration of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis seizing the entire Red Sea coast through a swift military campaign. The Houthis have frequently reported Saudi airstrikes in areas they control as retaliation.