Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Drones and Missiles Over Saudi Arabia and Red Sea

MIDDLE EAST — On October 16 the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen intercepted and destroyed three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV drones) in the Southern and Riyadh regions, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea, and a ballistic missile launched toward Yanbu, Major General Turki Al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, said in statements released through the Saudi Press Agency.

The intercepts occurred hours after Yemeni Health Minister Qasem Buhaibeh reported that a Houthi attack on the Maashiq Presidential Palace in Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, killed five people and wounded 16 on October 15. The dead and wounded included security guards and civilian employees at the complex, Buhaibeh said.

Coalition Intercepts Projectiles Aimed at Saudi Targets

• Major General Turki Al-Malki said three unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed in the Southern and Riyadh regions on October 16.

• Al-Malki stated that two cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed over the Red Sea the same day.

• A ballistic missile launched toward Yanbu was intercepted and destroyed in recent hours, Al-Malki said.

• The Saudi Press Agency released the statements on October 16 between approximately 2:24 PM and 2:32 PM UTC.

Locations Affected

• Southern and Riyadh regions, Saudi Arabia: intercepts of three unmanned aerial vehicles; Riyadh area coordinates approximately 24.71, 46.68.

• Red Sea: two cruise missiles intercepted; open water between Saudi and Yemeni coasts.

• Yanbu, Saudi Arabia: ballistic missile intercepted; port city on the Red Sea coast, approximately 24.09, 38.06, terminus of a major oil pipeline.

• Maashiq Presidential Palace, Aden, Yemen: five killed and 16 wounded; coordinates 12.76, 45.05, seat of the internationally recognized government.

• King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh: prior attacks this month; coordinates 24.96, 46.70, approximately 22 miles (35 km) north of central Riyadh.

Official Statements

• Major General Turki Al-Malki, Coalition Spokesman, October 16: “Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that three UAVs were intercepted and destroyed in Southern and Riyadh regions.”

• Major General Turki Al-Malki, Coalition Spokesman, October 16: “Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that two cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed over the Red Sea.”

• Major General Turki Al-Malki, Coalition Spokesman, October 16: “Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that a ballistic missile launched toward Yanbu was intercepted and destroyed in recent hours.”

• Brigadier General Yahya Saree, Houthi Military Spokesman, October 15: “The strike on the Saudi enemy’s military operations headquarters in Aden falls within the framework of the previously announced policy: targeting Saudi military concentrations wherever they may be and considering any military presence of the Saudi enemy a legitimate target for our forces, wherever it is located.”