RIYADH — Thursday, October 15, 2026. Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the Madinah region on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said, an announcement that was immediately denied by Yemen’s Houthi movement, which rejected any claim that it had targeted the holy city.
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki announced the interception in a post on X, saying the cruise missile had been intercepted and destroyed in the Madinah region. The statement did not identify who had fired the missile or its intended target, and gave no details of any casualties or damage. Saudi state media carried the announcement.
Houthis Deny the Claim
Within hours, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X that the group’s armed forces had not carried out any targeting operation against Saudi territory on Thursday. He described claims that Madinah had been targeted as false, regional media reported.
The exchange follows the coalition’s accusation earlier this month that the Houthis carried out a drone attack on the Taibah power distribution station in the holy city on September 29. The coalition said the strike knocked a transformer out of service without disrupting the electricity grid; the facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque. The Houthis have repeatedly pledged not to attack Mecca or Medina — the two holiest cities in Islam — even as they have vowed to keep striking Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Danger Warnings Lifted in the South
Separately on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence announced it had lifted earlier danger warnings issued for Najran City and Jizan City, telling residents the danger had passed. The authority reiterated the interior ministry’s advisory warning the public against filming, publishing or sharing information related to the impact sites of intercepted drones and missiles, state media reported.
The coalition also said early on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, and on Wednesday it announced the destruction of a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh. Air defences late on Tuesday destroyed two Houthi cruise missiles over Riyadh, with debris injuring four people and damaging around 15 residential homes, Arab News reported, while Civil Defence said debris from an intercepted ballistic missile over Riyadh on Wednesday injured an Arab resident and caused limited damage to a house and a vehicle.
Escalation Shows No Sign of Easing
The Madinah claim lands amid a sharp escalation in the aerial war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Earlier this week, the Houthis said they had struck Aramco facilities in Dhahran, while the coalition reported fresh interceptions over the capital. Saudi officials have said the kingdom’s air defences remain on full alert as the campaign shows no sign of easing.
