Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missile north of Riyadh after claimed strike on airport

Conflicting accounts over Riyadh airport strike

Houthi forces and the Saudi-led coalition issued conflicting statements early on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, regarding a ballistic missile launch targeting the Saudi capital. The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement announced that its forces launched a ballistic missile directly at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed that the strike hit its target and disrupted commercial air operations at the facility.

Our armed forces just struck King Khalid Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. The strike was precise, by God's grace, and caused disruption to air traffic at the airport.

Saudi military officials disputed the claim of an impact, stating that air defense systems neutralized the incoming projectile before it reached the airport. Coalition spokesman Colonel Nouri al-Malki stated that defense units intercepted and destroyed the missile in the airspace north of Riyadh. He added that coalition aerial intelligence began tracking the launch platform in the skies over Sanaa in order to destroy it.

A ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia was intercepted and destroyed north of Riyadh.

Drone and missile strike on Aden airport

Simultaneously with the operation against Riyadh, military actions targeted the temporary seat of the internationally recognized government of Yemen in the south of the country. Houthi officials announced a second operation targeting an area near Aden International Airport. The Yemeni state news agency SABA reported that the assault in the early morning hours involved two ballistic missiles accompanied by explosive-laden combat drones.

The strikes in Aden took place in the vicinity where the transitional administration maintains its governmental base. Government authorities confirmed that the regional transport hub came under direct fire from both missile batteries and unmanned aerial systems deployed by the militia. The simultaneous operations against Riyadh and Aden represent an escalation across both Saudi and Yemeni territories by the Iran-aligned rebel movement.

Prior missile interception in Khamis Mushait

The launches on 7 October followed an aerial engagement recorded late on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Coalition air defense units engaged an incoming projectile directed toward the city of Khamis Mushait. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki confirmed on social media that the missile was intercepted and destroyed before reaching its objective.

Khamis Mushait hosts an air base that supports coalition operations in the conflict against Houthi forces. The Tuesday incident marked the beginning of a 48-hour surge in projectile activity directed against logistical and military infrastructure across the Arabian Peninsula. Air defense systems in the southwestern sector had detected and engaged the weapon during its approach.

Coalition intelligence tracking in Sanaa

The Saudi-led military coalition, which supports the internationally recognized Yemeni administration against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, maintains continuous surveillance over rebel-controlled territory. Following the interception north of Riyadh, coalition command announced that intelligence assets are monitoring launch positions across the airspace of Sanaa.

Saudi commanders stated that coalition forces intend to locate and destroy the mobile launcher utilized in the attack on the capital. The military coalition remains engaged in sustained counter-operations against Ansar Allah, responding to missile and drone launches aimed at urban centers and logistical facilities. Coalition intelligence systems continue aerial reconnaissance over Sanaa to detect further launch preparations.