Saudi Arabia
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- The Saudi authorities said they intercepted three ballistic missiles launched from Yemen that targeted civilians.
- Two children were injured and 14 houses were damaged by intercepted debris.
- The conflict in Yemen has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, leading to what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The Saudi authorities said on Saturday that they had intercepted three ballistic missiles launched from neighboring Yemen, targeting civilians in Eastern Province and the southern cities of Najran and Jizan.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, debris from the interception was scattered in the eastern city of Dammam, injuring two children and damage to 14 houses.
The severity of the injury is unclear.
Spokesperson, Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki, said in a statement: “Saudi’s air defense department intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles and bomb-carrying drones fired by Iran-backed Houthi forces.” Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels told the state-run television station that it will take “strict measures” to protect civilians.
Although the Houthis did not immediately comment, the insurgents allied with Iran have repeatedly targeted cross-border attacks.
In August, the insurgents upgraded their operations with drones and missiles. Saturday’s interception occurred four days after a drone hit the Abha International Airport in the south, injuring eight people and damaging a civilian aircraft.
Just a few hours before the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, officially took office on Sunday.
In Dammam, Twitter users reported hearing a loud noise.
The eastern part of Saudi Arabia has major oil infrastructure. An attack in September 2019 temporarily halted half of the country’s oil production.
Soon after the Houthi armed forces occupied the capital Sana’a, Saudi Arabia intervened in the Yemen war on behalf of an internationally recognized government in 2015.
The fierce conflict in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, leading to what the United Nations calls the most serious humanitarian crisis in the world.
While the United Nations is pushing for an end to the war, the Houthis are demanding the reopening of Sana’a Airport, which has been closed under the Saudi blockade since 2016, before any ceasefire or negotiations.
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