Saudi Arabia announces interception of 'hostile drone' in Riyadh region

The Saudi-led military coalition announced the interception of a hostile drone in the Riyadh region, with no casualties reported. The coalition spokesperson did not identify the party that launched the drone, amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

The Saudi-led military coalition announced on Saturday the interception of a 'hostile drone' in the Riyadh region. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said in two posts on platform 'X' that air defenses intercepted and destroyed the drone, noting that debris from the interception fell without causing injuries. Al-Maliki did not mention the party that launched the drone. This incident comes in the context of escalating attacks by Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis on the kingdom in recent weeks, especially targeting airports and oil facilities. The most severe of these attacks was a strike on Riyadh airport on October 10, which killed 13 people and injured hundreds. Also on Friday, al-Maliki announced the interception of a drone launched by the Houthis toward the Mecca region, which the Houthis later denied. These attacks come as fighting resumed in Yemen between the Houthis and government forces in July, after the collapse of a truce that had been in place since 2022.