RIYADH Oct 11, 2026 – The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen says it has intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis that targeted the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said air defence systems destroyed the missile before it reached its intended target. Saudi Civil Defence briefly issued an alert warning of potential danger in the nearby city of Abha, which was later lifted after authorities said the threat had passed.
The interception comes amid a sharp escalation in cross-border attacks. Houthi forces have carried out repeated strikes on Saudi territory in recent days, including two missile attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi authorities said the second of those strikes killed one person and wounded 11 others, following an earlier attack that left at least 12 dead and more than 300 injured.
Khamis Mushait, which hosts a major air base and lies close to the Yemeni border, has been a frequent target of Houthi missile and drone launches throughout the conflict. The Houthis have framed such attacks as responses to Saudi-led military operations in Yemen and to wider regional tensions.
The latest developments form part of a broader confrontation involving Iran. Tehran has said recent US responses to its conditions for ending hostilities remain inadequate, while Iranian officials have held talks with Saudi counterparts and offered to help facilitate dialogue between Riyadh and the Houthis. Fighting has also intensified inside Yemen, with air strikes reported in Sanaa and Taiz and the Houthi-run health ministry claiming more than 270 people killed since early September.
The United States has urged extreme caution for travel through major Saudi airports, citing the risk of further attacks and possible flight disruptions.
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