Middle East
Saudi Arabia shoots down two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu; alarms in Mecca and Jeddah
The Riyadh-led coalition announced the destruction of two missiles launched from Yemen, two days after the Houthis claimed attacks on the Saudi Defense Ministry and Aramco facilities.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 24, 2026, 14:30 · Updated 18:39 · 1 min read
In brief
- The Saudi coalition says it destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting Taif and Yanbu.
- Security alarms briefly sounded in Mecca and Jeddah, about 10 minutes before the danger was declared over.
- According to ATSH, drones were also intercepted over Riyadh and Medina.
The Saudi-led coalition announced on Saturday that it had destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels, Reuters reported, as cited by ATSH (the Albanian Telegraphic Agency). According to the announcement, the missiles were aimed at the cities of Taif and Yanbu.
During the attack, security alarms were briefly activated in Mecca and Jeddah. About 10 minutes later, authorities said the danger had passed. ATSH also reports that drones were intercepted over Riyadh and Medina.
Escalation after Thursday's attacks
The incident came two days after the Houthis claimed attacks on the Saudi Defense Ministry, on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi authorities have reported two dead but have not officially confirmed the rebels' claims of strikes on Riyadh and Yanbu. According to the same source, state oil company Saudi Aramco asked employees to leave its headquarters in Dhahran.
Since early October, the Houthis had urged airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina. The latest developments add to concerns about the kingdom's energy infrastructure, air transport and economic stability, at a time when the war in the region has unsettled oil markets.
Thursday's attacks on Dammam, where Saudi authorities said two people were killed, had already prompted Washington to order the departure of non-emergency staff from its missions in the kingdom. Riyadh has given no information about damage from the missiles shot down on Saturday.
