Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh

Riyadh, Nov 12: Saudi Arabia's air defence forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards the Mecca region on Wednesday, with debris falling at several locations, including Sabuhah village, officials said.

According to the Saudi Civil Defence, debris from the intercepted missiles fell in different parts of the region. No further details about casualties or damage were provided in the statement.

Saudi authorities attributed the missile launches to Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The group has repeatedly denied targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, maintaining that its military operations are directed at military and strategic installations elsewhere in Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have not yet commented on the latest incident.

In a statement issued early Thursday, Saudi Civil Defence condemned the attack, describing the targeting of civilian locations as a violation of international humanitarian law.

The latest incident comes amid renewed hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognised government.

A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 largely brought an end to major fighting. However, tensions have resurfaced this year, with the Houthis launching missile and drone attacks towards Saudi territory and Riyadh conducting airstrikes in Yemen.

The escalation has also raised concerns over security in the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major international shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.