Riyadh, Oct 27:
Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted three ballistic missiles aimed at its Eastern Region and four drones targeting its Southern Region, according to the Saudi-led coalition, as fighting involving Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement intensified.
Saudi Civil Defence issued warnings about possible hostile threats in the Eastern Region and Kharj governorate before later announcing that the immediate danger had passed. The reported interceptions came amid escalating hostilities following the Houthis’ capture of strategic areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and their advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The latest confrontation threatens to undermine the relative calm established by a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022, which had largely halted attacks between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis. The renewed fighting has also opened another front in the wider US-Israeli war against Iran.
The security situation has raised concerns about the safety of oil infrastructure and international shipping routes. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a crucial passage for commercial vessels travelling between Europe and Asia. Any prolonged disruption could increase shipping costs, delay deliveries and add pressure to global energy markets.
The coalition’s announcement did not immediately establish the full extent of damage caused by the latest attacks. The escalation highlights the risk that a regional conflict could spread further, threatening energy supplies and maritime trade.