Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensify; drones, missiles claimed intercepted

After Yemen's Houthi rebels intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday it intercepted two drones and two ballistic missiles. According to a coalition spokesperson, air defense systems identified and destroyed drones aimed at the capital, Riyadh.

Missiles aimed at the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, home to an important air military base, were also intercepted. Attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group have been steadily increasing since last July, and the conflict in Yemen has escalated after a long ceasefire collapsed.

The Houthi group claims to have imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, attacked oil-carrying vessels, and expanded control along the Red Sea coast, which has also affected energy markets.

Houthi political bureau member Hejam al-Assad said the current campaign was only a small exercise for a full-scale war. Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned the attacks as a serious violation of Saudi sovereignty and urged the international community to take firm action to hold the Houthi group accountable.

Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, called for nationwide mobilization on Friday. According to the United Nations, about 138,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since August, nearly 70,000 of them children.