Saudi Coalition Shoots Down 4 Drones as Yemen War Spills Into the Kingdom
Saudi air defenses intercepted four drones over Riyadh and other regions as Houthi attacks escalate, while missiles struck Aden airport and injured four people in the Saudi capital.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted four drones over Riyadh and eastern and southern Saudi Arabia, the latest in a series of drone interceptions as fighting in Yemen escalates and spills into the kingdom [264712]. The coalition described the intercepts as urgent but gave no details on who launched the drones, whether anyone was hurt, or whether any targets were struck [264602][264596].
The attacks mark an escalation by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which has exchanged strikes with the Saudi-led coalition on energy infrastructure [260648][261548]. In Riyadh, falling debris from intercepted missiles injured four people and caused limited material damage to 15 residential homes, according to Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense [261548][261731].
The coalition also intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile launched by the Houthi militia toward Al-Kharj province in Saudi Arabia [261730], and another drone targeting the kingdom's east [263449]. Houthi-affiliated media reported artillery shelling in the border district of Saada province [263449].
Iran has denied any involvement in the escalation of attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi targets [264671]. Late on Friday, two missiles struck the international airport in Aden, Yemen's interim capital — the second such incident in less than two weeks [264671]. At least five people were killed and 16 wounded Thursday when Houthi missiles and drones struck a palace in Aden used by the country's internationally recognized government [263387].