Saudi-led coalition thwarts wave of Houthi attacks on kingdom

The Saudi-led coalition against Houthis said Tuesday it intercepted wave of ballistic missiles and drones targeting two regions in Saudi Arabia, as the conflict with the Iran-aligned group intensifies.

The Houthis launched three ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia's Eastern Region and four drones toward the country's Southern Region, the coalition said.

Saudi Civil Defense issued early warnings for a potential threat in the Eastern Region and in Kharj governorate, later saying the danger had passed in both areas.

Saudi Arabia has intensified its strikes on the Houthis since the group captured strategic areas along Yemen's Red Sea coast last month, advancing toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key global shipping route for Gulf oil producers opposite the Strait of Hormuz on the Arabian Peninsula.

Earlier Monday, the coalition said it intercepted and destroyed three drones over the Riyadh region and southern Saudi Arabia, without identifying their origin or intended targets.

The coalition also announced strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, saying it destroyed ballistic missile launchers, storage tunnels and a missile depot.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the operations aimed to dismantle the group's ballistic missile network and disrupt its supply routes.

The renewed fighting between the two sides has shattered a 2022 U.N.-brokered truce that largely halted attacks between the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognized government, and the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa.

The escalation has also opened another front in regional conflicts involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.