Saudi Arabia brings down wave of Houthi missiles and drones near Mecca

Saudi air defences have brought down a wave of airborne weapons launched from Yemen, with debris falling across several towns in Mecca province as cross-border hostilities sharply escalate.

According to Saudi Civil Defence officials, fragments from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell over Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh, and Wadi Al-Mughammas. The coalition also intercepted a ballistic missile and an uncrewed aerial vehicle above the capital, Riyadh, as the barrage unfolded from Saturday evening into Sunday.

Coalition units reported further interceptions by midday Sunday, destroying a cruise missile bound for Khamis Mushait while air raid sirens sounded in Taif and Jazan. Across the broader assault, defensive systems brought down a total of 10 ballistic missiles aimed toward the kingdom's southern territory.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi condemned the launches directed near Mecca, home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, calling them a grave violation of holy sites and an insult to Muslims globally. The Houthi movement has rejected accusations that it targets religious landmarks.

The attacks come amid repeated strikes against Saudi facilities. Civil aviation authorities in Riyadh disclosed that operations at King Khalid International Airport would restart on Sunday, directing international flights to Terminal 2 and domestic routes to Terminal 1 following closures prompted by earlier strikes, including an October 10 assault that killed 13 people and wounded hundreds.

Despite the planned reopening, Houthi military representative Yahya Saree issued a public warning declaring King Khalid International Airport an active military target and advising airlines, workers, and passengers to stay clear. Saree also stated that the movement had mounted seven operations against Saudi military positions and energy infrastructure.

The cross-border bombardment coincides with intense ground and air warfare inside Yemen. The conflict originally erupted when Houthi forces seized Sanaa in September 2014, driving out the administration. Tensions surged again after government troops struck Sanaa International Airport to block a Houthi delegation travelling from Tehran, which prompted a Houthi push that captured western coastal areas, including Mocha. In response, government-aligned forces started Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 5 to reclaim ground.

Yemen's military reported conducting 736 strikes against Houthi forces within a single 24-hour period, saying 307 combatants were neutralised and 68 military vehicles were destroyed.

Humanitarian monitors have expressed mounting alarm over conditions in the Yemeni city of Taiz, which has been encircled by Houthi fighters since October 4. The Rasd Organization for Rights and Freedoms warned that critical medical supplies are running dangerously low, noting that about 1,110 kidney failure patients require around 120 dialysis treatments each day, while 192 people remain in intensive care units and 154 infants are in incubators under the blockade.