Saudi-led coalition intercepts missiles towards Riyadh, drones in Eastern Province

The Saudi-led coalition announced on Sunday that it had thwarted two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh, the Saudi capital, as well as three drones in the country's oil-rich Eastern Province. The Houthis, who dominate much of Yemen, have stepped up assaults on the Saudi capital recently. An Houthi strike last week caused damage to the administrative building of Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, in Riyadh's commercial district.

The Eastern Province, a key economic region, has also been repeatedly targeted by the Houthis in the past weeks. It houses the bulk of Saudi Arabia's oil and gas reserves and is home to Aramco's headquarters, which sustained significant damage in an attack in October. In retaliation, the Houthis have intensified strikes on Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has escalated airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.