Air defenses intercept six Houthi ballistic missiles, Civil Defense announces the danger has passed in Makkah, Jeddah, Taif, Tabuk and Yanbu; the Coalition vows to deal firmly with the escalation

Riyadh | BETH

Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia, and foiled attempts to target Taif and Yanbu, according to the official spokesperson for the Coalition Forces, Major General Turki Al-Maliki.

At the same time, Civil Defense announced that the danger had passed in Makkah, Jeddah, Taif, Tabuk and Yanbu, after the early warning system was activated in a number of cities.

Al-Maliki said that the escalation and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly.

The activation of the early warning system in Makkah carries particular sensitivity, with repeated attempts to threaten areas that include the holy sites, while the broad scope of warnings across cities in western and northwestern Saudi Arabia reflects a wider geographic spread of the targeting attempts.

What stands out is not only the number of missiles, but also the number of cities covered by the warning and the targeting of Taif and Yanbu in particular; the former has a strategic location in western Saudi Arabia, while the latter is a major energy and export hub on the Red Sea.