Saudi-led coalition says shot down 6 ballistic missiles launched by Houthis

Saudi-led coalition forces said on Thursday they intercepted six ballistic missiles that were headed toward the Saudi cities of Taif and the Red Sea port of Yanbu, Major General Turki al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, told the Saudi Press Agency. The coalition said Saudi air defences destroyed some of the incoming projectiles; there was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Houthi movement. Separately, Reuters cited Greek security sources saying a Greek-operated air-defence system in Saudi Arabia shot down a ballistic missile and a drone in the wider Yanbu area. The sources told Reuters the Patriot system launched two missiles to intercept those targets, but they did not specify the origin of the intercepted drone and missile. Saudi civil defence authorities earlier issued alerts for Mecca, Tabuk, Jeddah, Yanbu and Taif, warning of potential danger before later saying the threat had passed. Last week Riyadh also reported intercepting a Houthi-launched drone aimed at Mecca, an allegation the Houthis denied; their leader called the claim "a heinous lie," according to prior reporting. The latest incidents come amid an uptick in Houthi operations after the group declared a naval blockade in July and seized Yemen's western coast in a rapid advance that extended to the Bab al-Mandeb waterway. On Thursday, Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces said they repelled coordinated Houthi attacks along several fronts in Taiz governorate, where troops reported an attempted push toward a key road linking Aden, Lahj and Taiz, according to Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for those forces.