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Saudi coalition says it intercepted Houthi missile fired toward Medina

A coalition spokesman said a missile was intercepted near Medina minutes after a civil defence warning near Yanbu, while the Houthis deny targeting the city.

The short version

  • The Saudi-led coalition said air defence intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile that the Houthis fired toward the Medina region on Thursday.[France 24]
  • The interception was announced minutes after Saudi civil defence warned of potential danger near the port of Yanbu, and it was unclear whether the two events were connected.[France 24]
  • The Houthis rejected any suggestion they targeted Medina, saying their operations target only oil facilities and military bases.[Al Jazeera]
  • Yemeni government claims of gains in Taiz, including Sanamat, remain unverified, and Al Jazeera could not independently confirm them.[Al Jazeera]

Key facts

  • A coalition spokesman said on X that air defence intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the Medina region.[France 24]
  • The interception was announced minutes after Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency warned of potential danger near the port of Yanbu, and reporting said it was unclear whether the two events were connected.[France 24]
  • The Houthis rejected suggestions they targeted Medina, and military spokesman Yahya Saree said their operations target only oil facilities and military bases.[Al Jazeera]
  • Yemeni government forces, according to Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, carried out targeting operations and gained control of Sanamat in Taiz governorate.[Al Jazeera]
  • Al Jazeera could not independently verify the government's claims about casualties and territorial gains.[Al Jazeera]

What remains uncertain

  • It is unclear whether the Medina interception and the Yanbu civil defence warning were connected.[France 24]
  • The Houthi denial of targeting Medina conflicts with the coalition's account, and the reporting does not resolve the dispute.[France 24 · Al Jazeera]
  • Government claims of enemy fighters killed and territorial gains in Taiz are unverified.[Al Jazeera]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.