Shafaq News- Riyadh/ Sanaa

Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi (Ansarallah) group toward Riyadh and the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition fighting in Yemen, said Sunday.

التحالف: الدفاع الجوي اعترض ودمر صاروخ باليستي أطلقته الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية باتجاه المنطقة الشرقية. https://t.co/PCRfjFmF2F

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) November 8, 2026

التحالف: الدفاع الجوي اعترض ودمر صاروخين باليستيين أطلقتهما الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية باتجاه الرياض. https://t.co/ssHlmSisv2

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) November 8, 2026

Earlier in the day, Saudi Civil Defense issued warnings for Al-Ahsa and Abqaiq over a potential threat, although no incident was subsequently reported.

The Houthis have yet to comment on the Saudi claims.

On Saturday, the group carried out six operations inside Saudi Arabia involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Its spokesperson, Yahya Saree, described the attacks as retaliation for strikes on Bani Hashish and a November 6 attack on Al-Hadara market in Taiz’s Al-Waziiyah district, while vowing further operations against the Kingdom.

Fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, has intensified in 2026 after years of relatively stable front lines following a 2022 truce. The escalation displaced more than 308,000 people across 10 Yemeni provinces between August 1 and November 4, 2026, according to the United Nations.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that the conflict has also cut off life-saving assistance to 800,000 people. The agency requires $268 million to sustain emergency food assistance, nutrition programs, school meals, resilience projects, and humanitarian logistics through 2027.