Houthi missiles aimed at Riyadh intercepted as U.S. Embassy issues nationwide alert
File photo: CFGThe Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles fired toward Riyadh early Sunday and three drones over the oil-rich Eastern Province, hours after the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a nationwide security alert urging Americans in the kingdom to exercise heightened vigilance.
"Air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh," coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said in a post on X early Sunday, Reuters reported. On Saturday, al-Maliki said two suspected Houthi drones "were intercepted and destroyed" in the Riyadh and southern regions. No casualties or damage were reported from Sunday's interceptions.
The U.S. Embassy issued its nationwide security alert on Saturday, citing an increased threat of Houthi attacks. It said Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia had "caused civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions" and warned that hostilities could spread "rapidly." The embassy told Americans: "Please take extreme caution if you choose to use airports in Saudi Arabia."
At least 26 people have been killed in suspected Houthi drone and missile attacks in Saudi Arabia since September 23, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, the East-West pipeline and oil infrastructure in eastern and southern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis had not claimed the latest launches as of Sunday morning.
It was the latest in a run of attacks on the Saudi capital. A Houthi attack last week damaged an administrative building belonging to the state oil company Saudi Aramco in Riyadh's financial district, and an attack on King Khalid International Airport on October 10 killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to Saudi authorities. The Eastern Province, the target of Sunday's drone interceptions, holds most of the kingdom's oil and gas reserves and is home to Aramco's headquarters, which suffered extensive damage in an attack in October.
Fighting inside Yemen is also intensifying. The coalition said it intercepted several drones launched toward the city of Marib, where fighting has escalated, and the Houthis have stepped up strikes on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities while Saudi Arabia has ramped up airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response. More than 340,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Yemen since August, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Sources: Reuters, "Saudi-led coalition intercepts missiles towards Riyadh, drones in Eastern Province" (Nov. 15, 2026, full text verified); Al Jazeera, "Coalition intercepts two missiles aimed at Riyadh as US Embassy urges airport caution" (Nov. 15, 2026, via Nakoda News, full text verified). Event date verified: the interceptions took place early Sunday, November 15, 2026; the Saudi-led coalition confirmed the interceptions and reported no casualties the same day, and the U.S. Embassy issued its nationwide security alert on Saturday, November 14.
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