Saudi air defences intercept three Houthi cruise missiles launched toward Riyadh

Saudi air defences intercepted Houthi missiles and drones launched towards Riyadh, Mecca and southern regions of the kingdom on Wednesday, according to the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Yemeni Iran-aligned group.

The coalition said it had ‌intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles launched towards the Riyadh region and two drones launched towards Mecca ‌and southern regions. Mecca, home to sites sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam's holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, which millions of Muslims undertake each year.

The Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting ⁠Mecca and Medina, ​Islam's two holiest cities, ⁠rejecting previous Saudi-led coalition accusations that they had launched drones towards the cities. The militia, which controls most of the populous parts ⁠of Yemen, has intensified attacks on the Saudi capital in recent days, saying it was were responding to Saudi attacks ​in Yemen. A Houthi attack on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh's financial hub.

Wednesday's interceptions ⁠marked the second consecutive day that Saudi air defences had intercepted Houthi missiles launched towards Riyadh, after they downed a ballistic missile ⁠and ​a cruise missile on Tuesday, the coalition said. Last month, a Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

Renewed fighting between the two sides has intensified since September, ⁠when the Houthis advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping chokepoint at the southern entrance to the ⁠Red Sea. The Houthis ⁠have since stepped up strikes on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has ramped up airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response.