Saudi Arabia says its air defences intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards the Mecca and Medina regions on Saturday, with debris falling in several places across the kingdom’s west — including near Islam’s holiest cities. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca and Medina, calling the Saudi account a lie, while separately claiming a wave of attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities.
What happened
Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defence said on Saturday that it responded to falling debris from the interception of two ballistic missiles launched by what it called the “terrorist Houthi militia” towards the country’s western regions.
The agency said fragments fell in four locations:
- Wadi Mughamas, outside Mecca
- The Al-Nuzha neighbourhood in Jeddah
- Wadi Jalil in Taif
- An uninhabited area in Rabigh
Mecca and Medina are Islam’s two holiest cities, which is why the incident drew immediate attention across the Muslim world. None of the reports of the incident mentioned casualties from the falling debris.
Earlier on Saturday, before the interceptions were announced, Civil Defence had issued emergency alerts warning of a potential aerial threat in four western provinces, including Mecca, and urged residents to move to the nearest safe location. The agency later said the danger had passed in the affected areas.
In follow-up posts, Civil Defence urged residents to follow safety instructions, avoid gatherings, avoid filming incidents, and call 911 in an emergency. The agency operates under Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry and is responsible for protecting people and property during emergencies.
The Houthis deny targeting the holy cities
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree rejected the claim that the group had targeted Mecca and Medina.
“What the Saudi enemy is promoting about our forces targeting towards the holy areas of Mecca and Medina is a great and huge lie,” Saree was quoted as saying by AFP.
The denial leaves the two sides’ accounts directly at odds: Saudi authorities say two missiles heading towards the Mecca and Medina regions were intercepted, while the Houthis say they did not aim at the holy cities at all.
Houthis claim attacks on airports and oil facilities
Separately, the Houthis claimed they had carried out a series of attacks across Saudi Arabia on Friday and Saturday, targeting:
- King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh
- Airports in the Dammam and Najran regions
- The Khamis Mushait air base in southern Saudi Arabia
- A Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu
- The Rabigh oil refinery
- Crude oil pumping stations and the east-west crude oil pipeline
Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed those claimed attacks, and they should be treated as Houthi claims rather than confirmed strikes.
The Houthis also claimed that Saudi Arabia had carried out 100 airstrikes on Yemen in the previous 24 hours, hitting the capital Sanaa and other civilian areas, and said dozens of people had been killed and wounded. Those figures come from the Houthis and have not been independently verified.
A wider escalation
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in the region. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said on Saturday that the Houthis had also fired three ballistic missiles at coast guard facilities in the southern port city of Aden.
The latest developments have raised concerns about the breakdown of the United Nations-mediated truce agreed in 2022, which had largely prevented cross-border strikes between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while the Houthis continue to control the capital, Sanaa.
The security situation has already disrupted air travel. Air India extends its Saudi flight suspensions to Riyadh and Dammam until November 7 and Jeddah until October 31, while IndiGo and Akasa Air have also cancelled services to Saudi cities — a disruption covered in detail in our earlier report on the airline suspensions.
Timeline
- Friday–Saturday, October 24–25: The Houthis claim attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, an air base and a pipeline.
- Saturday, October 24: Saudi Civil Defence warns of a potential aerial threat in four western provinces, including Mecca, and urges residents to move to safe locations.
- Saturday, October 24: Civil Defence says two ballistic missiles heading towards the Mecca and Medina regions were intercepted, with debris falling in Wadi Mughamas, Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh.
- Saturday, October 24: Civil Defence later says the danger has passed in the affected areas.
- Saturday night into Sunday, October 25: Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree denies the group targeted Mecca and Medina, calling the Saudi account “a great and huge lie”.
What happens next
The key questions now are whether the exchanges continue and whether either side steps back from the escalation. If further missiles are launched towards Saudi cities, more alerts and airspace disruption are likely, and airlines may extend their suspensions further. Diplomatically, the incident puts fresh strain on the already fragile 2022 truce framework, and any confirmed strike on a holy city would carry enormous political and religious weight — which is precisely why the competing claims matter so much.
For travellers, the practical advice remains unchanged: check flight status before heading to the airport, follow local civil defence instructions, and avoid gathering near any debris or incident site.
FAQs
What did Saudi Arabia report on Saturday?
Saudi Civil Defence said it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Houthi rebels towards the Mecca and Medina regions, and that debris fell in Wadi Mughamas outside Mecca, Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh.
Did the Houthis admit targeting Mecca and Medina?
No. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied it, calling the Saudi claim “a great and huge lie”.
Where exactly did the debris fall?
According to Saudi Civil Defence: Wadi Mughamas outside Mecca, the Al-Nuzha neighbourhood in Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif, and an uninhabited area in Rabigh.
Were there any casualties?
None of the reports of the incident mentioned casualties from the falling debris.
What other attacks did the Houthis claim?
The group claimed attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, airports in Dammam and Najran, the Khamis Mushait air base, a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, oil pumping stations and the east-west pipeline. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed those claims.
How does this affect flights to Saudi Arabia?
Airlines including Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air have suspended or extended cancellations on Saudi routes, citing the security situation. Passengers should check with their airline before travelling.
Why this matters
An attack — or even an alleged attack — touching the Mecca and Medina regions is different from any other strike in this conflict. The two cities sit at the centre of Muslim religious life, and any threat to them risks turning a regional military escalation into a far wider crisis. That is why both sides are fighting over the narrative as fiercely as over the facts: Riyadh presents the interceptions as proof of a threat to the holy cities, while the Houthis deny it outright and point to their own claims about Saudi strikes on Yemen. Until independent evidence emerges, the confirmed core of the story is narrow but serious — two missiles intercepted, debris on the ground in four places, alerts issued and lifted, and a denial that keeps the dispute open.
You can follow further developments in our World section.