Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles heading toward Mecca, Jeddah

Mon 20 May 2019:

Saudi Arabia’s air forces on Monday intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles over Taif, one heading for Mecca and the other for Jeddah, according to eyewitnesses. The Kingdom’s air defense forces were able to destroy the ballistic missiles. Saudi authorities are expected to issue a formal statement later. In light of the attack, the Yemeni government said that it strongly condemns the Houthi attempt to target Mecca, adding that the attack on the holy site is “a full-fledged terrorist act”.

Earlier in March, Yemen’s Houthi militias warned they could launch attacks against the capitals of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “We have aerial photographs and coordinates of dozens of headquarters, facilities and military bases of the enemy,” Houthi militia spokesman Yahya Saree had said in comments carried by the militia’s Al-Masirah channel. “The legitimate targets of our forces extend to the capital of Saudi Arabia and to the emirate of Abu Dhabi,” he said. The Iran-linked Houthi militias have targeted Saudi border towns and Riyadh with ballistic missiles and also claimed drone attacks on the airports of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the past.

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