Saudi Arabia shoots down rockets aimed at holy cities

Saudi authorities intercepted two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen toward Mecca and Medina on Saturday.

Civil Defense officials confirmed that fragments from the missiles landed in three locations: Jeddah, Taif, and Rabigh. The missiles were aimed at the regions housing the two holiest sites in Islam.

The intercepts followed an announcement by the Houthis on Saturday. The group said it attacked Saudi oil infrastructure and airports. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, listed specific targets. These included a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saree also claimed strikes on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Najran airport, and an air base in Khamis Mushait.

Earlier that morning, Houthi-linked Saba News Agency reported on reciprocal strikes in Yemen. The agency cited Yemen’s National Commission for Human Rights, which condemned Saudi attacks on the capital, Sanaa. The group described a "massacre" in the Asr neighborhood and a strike on a cement factory in the Hamdan district.

The US State Department issued a travel advisory update for Israel on Friday. The notice warned of a higher threat of armed attacks by Iran-backed Houthis. It also noted the potential for rapid regional escalation. The department did not change Israel's travel advisory level, which remains at Level 3. This level urges US citizens to reconsider travel due to terrorism and unrest. The advisory referenced past Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and infrastructure that caused civilian casualties and travel delays.