RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis said on Saturday it had intercepted drones and ballistic missiles, as the group launched fresh attacks, including on Riyadh, despite international condemnation.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday its air defences “intercepted and destro­yed two drones launched by the Houthis towards the Riyadh area”.

Saudi air defences also intercepted and destroyed two Houthi-launched ballistic missiles targeting Khamis Mushait, a city in the country’s southwest that is home to an air base, the spokesman said.

Hezam Al-Assad, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, said on Saturday that “Despite the operation’s strength, scope, and impact, our armed forces view it as merely a small-scale rehearsal for a full-scale escalation.”

Meanwhile, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, denounced the Houthi attacks.

“This dangerous escalation constitutes a flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and poses a direct threat to the security and safety of civilians and the stability of the region,” he said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2026