RIYADH (The Thursday Times) — Saudi Arabia said its air defences shot down Houthi missiles and drones fired at Riyadh, Mecca, and other parts of the kingdom on Wednesday. The Houthis denied aiming at Islam’s holiest city and said they had instead struck an oil pumping station in Yanbu.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles heading for the Riyadh region, two drones aimed at Mecca and southern areas, and two missiles directed towards the west of the country. The coalition had earlier announced the interception of the three cruise missiles fired at Riyadh.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied that the group had targeted Mecca with a drone, saying its operations were aimed at oil facilities and military bases.
Saree said the Houthis had attacked a pumping station in Yanbu, the Red Sea oil hub that lets Saudi Arabia export crude without passing through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. There was no Saudi confirmation of the claim.
Alerts in three cities
Saudi civil defence later issued warnings of possible danger in Taif, Yanbu, and Khamis Mushait, then said the danger had passed, state television reported.
It was the second day running that missiles aimed at Riyadh had been intercepted. On Tuesday the coalition said it brought down a ballistic missile and a cruise missile. A Houthi attack on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh’s financial district, and last month an attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Mecca, home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, draws millions of Pakistani pilgrims for Hajj and Umrah every year. Pakistan is also a party, with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which the Turkish parliament approved last week.
On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and urged Iran to stop arming the group.
