Saudi Coalition Destroys Four Houthi Missile Launchers in Retaliation as Group Claims East-West Oil Pipeline Strikes
RIYADH, Monday, October 26, 2026 — The Saudi-led coalition said on Monday it had destroyed four Houthi ballistic missile launchers, a missile depot and a network of tunnels, in a retaliatory operation announced hours after its air defences intercepted a missile aimed at the capital.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the strikes were aimed at cutting off Houthi supply lines between areas under the group’s control in Yemen. The announcement came a day after explosions rattled Riyadh and residents received text warnings of a hostile aerial threat to the city.
Coalition strikes back
Al-Maliki said in a statement posted on X on Monday that the operation had destroyed four ballistic missile launchers, a missile depot and tunnels used by the Iran-backed group, which controls large parts of Yemen. He said the operation focused on cutting off Houthi supply lines, state media reported.
In a separate statement, the coalition said its air defences had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh. Earlier, the coalition said it had destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, including one used to fire the missile toward Riyadh that was intercepted.
The strikes followed a heavy Sunday barrage in which Saudi air defences intercepted 10 ballistic missiles fired toward the south of the kingdom, according to the coalition. Civil defence officials said shrapnel from two intercepted missiles over Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah injured two people and damaged homes and vehicles.
Fresh Houthi claims on oil pipeline
The Houthis, for their part, said on Monday they had attacked Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude oil pumping stations and Riyadh airport, according to a Reuters report. There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the pipeline claim, and Saudi authorities had not commented on the group’s latest airport claim at the time of reporting.
The East-West pipeline carries crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree has repeatedly warned airlines and travellers to avoid King Khalid International Airport, calling it a military target and saying it would never be safe.
Airport still in the crosshairs
King Khalid International Airport partially resumed flights on Sunday after a closure that began on October 10, with Terminal 1 handling domestic flights and Terminal 2 serving international flights operated by national carriers. Flight-tracking data showed only limited traffic on Sunday despite scheduled arrivals from Dubai, Paris and Cairo, trade sources said.
What happens next
The exchange comes as Egypt’s parliament was due to resume deliberations on Monday on President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s request for authority to support Saudi Arabia defensively against Houthi attacks. The vote, postponed from the previous week, requires a two-thirds majority of the chamber’s 596 members, and el-Sisi has stressed any Egyptian role would be defensive rather than an attack on Yemen.
With the coalition striking launch sites and the Houthis vowing further attacks on airports and oil facilities, the coming days will test whether the latest retaliation deters further strikes or deepens the cycle. For now, travellers, airlines and energy markets are watching Riyadh’s airport and the kingdom’s oil infrastructure for the next development.
Sources: AFP via Malay Mail; Reuters; Times Now; Japan Times.
