Saudi air defences destroy missiles over Riyadh following air raid on Sanaa fuel site

Air defences in Saudi Arabia have brought down a wave of incoming projectiles aimed at Riyadh and eastern cities following coalition air raids against an oil storage site near Sanaa, coalition military officials said.

According to spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki, coalition forces destroyed four ballistic missiles and two unmanned aircraft targeting the capital area. Interceptions were also reported over eastern locations including Dammam, though falling debris landed in a residential neighbourhood in nearby Dhahran. The strikes followed an earlier warning by Houthi forces that they intended to bombard the capital airport, Aramco oil facilities, and corporate offices in Dammam.

The aerial exchange escalated rapidly after coalition jets hit the al-Sabaha fuel site, which is managed by the Houthi administration's Yemen Petroleum Company just outside Sanaa. Prior to the attack, advance warnings caused motorists to rush to filling stations across the capital amid fears of critical shortages. The local petroleum operator insisted the bombed location held no refined products in storage and stated that emergency plans remained in effect to protect public distribution.

Regional tensions have surged after deadly bombardments against Saudi infrastructure in preceding days. A missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people over the weekend, followed by another fatality during a repeat strike the next day. The Saudi cabinet, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, cautioned that the Houthi movement would be held fully accountable for continuing assaults on kingdom soil.

Houthi representatives stated their ongoing attacks against Saudi aviation, energy installations, and military positions represent retaliation for sustained bombing runs supporting Yemeni government troops. Backed by coalition air power, pro-government units have been pushing forward along the Red Sea coastline and near the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab Strait, where loyalist forces recently reported recapturing high ground.

The long-running Yemeni conflict, which ignited in 2014 when rebels seized control of Sanaa, has deteriorated markedly since mid-year, ending an informal four-year truce. Humanitarian conditions continue to decline sharply amidst the renewed hostilities. United Nations agencies report that hundreds have died since August, including dozens of civilians, while more than 216,000 residents have been uprooted from their homes and suspected cholera infections have surged threefold.