Connect the Dots
NewsConflict & SecurityRiyadh, Saudi Arabiaand 3 more

Saudi Arabia says it downed Houthi missiles aimed at Riyadh and Mecca; Houthis say Saudi strikes killed 11

Saudi authorities said they intercepted Houthi missiles fired toward Riyadh, Taif, Yanbu and the Mecca and Medina regions, while Houthi media said Saudi airstrikes killed 11 people in Sanaa.

File photo: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
File photo: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Photo: B.alotaby, CC BY-SA 4.0

Network around this story

Loading network

Tap a node to see it and show more, tap again to open its page

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said air defences destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh early on 24 October, after two explosions were heard in the capital, and a drone over the Eastern Province. The coalition said it later intercepted two missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, and civil defence briefly issued "potential danger" alerts for four western regions including Mecca.2The Daily Star3Asharq Al-Awsat4The Peninsula

Saudi Civil Defense said that evening it intercepted two ballistic missiles fired toward the Mecca and Medina regions, with debris falling in Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted Saudi Aramco's facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery and airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca and Medina; Saree called the Saudi claim "a great and huge lie", Gulf News reported.1The Jerusalem Post5Gulf News

Houthi media said Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa killed 11 people, including strikes on a house and on housing for cement-factory workers, and reported about 20 strikes on Mocha. These figures could not be independently verified; reported tolls ranged from three to 12 across outlets. The coalition did not comment on the strikes in the reports reviewed.2The Daily Star5Gulf News6Press TV

The Saudi-Houthi war, dormant since a 2022 ceasefire, resumed in July, AFP reported. The US State Department updated travel advisories citing Houthi threats, and Iran's envoy to Pakistan said Tehran would study the Mecca defence pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey after the renewed Houthi attacks.1The Jerusalem Post2The Daily Star7ABC News

How others covered it

1 favours Saudi Arabia, 1 favours Houthis, 3 balanced, 2 not analysed. Sides in this story: Saudi Arabia vs Houthis. Our reading of each article; how we decide.

Favours Saudi Arabia

  • Asharq Al-AwsatControlled by Saudi Arabia's state, through the Public Investment Fund (owner) (reported)Saudi Arabia Intercepts Three Missiles Targeting Riyadh, Taif and YanbuRiyadh, Islamabad Reaffirm Commitment to Regional Stability
    Why
    • Leads with one side: "Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki announced early" Opens with the coalition spokesman and uses the coalition's own name for itself.
    • Uses one side's terms: "Houthi militia" Uses the coalition's term throughout; it reports the Houthi allegation only with the coalition's denial and omits the Yemeni casualty reports carried by AFP and Reuters.

Favours Houthis

  • Press TVSaudi airstrike on Yemeni cement factory kills eight, including six women and a childSaudi airstrikes and missile attacks have targeted several areas of Yemen, including Sana'a, Mokha, and Sa'ada, with local sources reporting deaths and injuries.
    Why
    • States a claim as fact: "Saudi airstrike on Yemeni cement factory kills eight, including six women and a child" States the Houthi media toll as fact in the headline.
    • Uses one side's terms: "Saudi Arabia has sharply escalated its aggression in recent weeks" Loaded term; the Saudi interception claims and Houthi missile launches reported by Reuters and AFP are absent.

Balanced

Not analysed

Where it happened

Who is involved

Separate stories that sources connect to this one.

  1. Deadly attack on Saudi airport in Dammam as US orders staff out of Saudi ArabiaAn attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed two people and wounded eight, Saudi authorities said, after the US ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia over Houthi threats.The Jerusalem PostThe Daily Star
  2. Oil tops $110 after Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia's Shaybah field and Dammam airportBrent crude rose to its highest since May after a deadly drone strike near Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield and an attack on Dammam's airport, on top of the Iran-war risk at Hormuz.The Daily Star
  3. Air India, IndiGo and Akasa extend Saudi flight suspensions into November after Houthi attacks on airportsIndian airlines extended cancellations to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah, Air India until 7 November, as the Houthis claimed new strikes on Saudi airports and oil sites.DNA IndiaBombay Samachar
Show -Infinity older stories

    More from Saudi Arabia

    Topics

    Sources

    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 3
      Saudi Arabia Intercepts Three Missiles Targeting Riyadh, Taif and YanbuAsharq Al-AwsatControlled by Saudi Arabia's state, through the Public Investment Fund (owner) (reported) 24 October 2026english.aawsat.com
    4. 4
      Saudi forces say intercepted two Houthi missiles targeting Yanbu, TaifThe PeninsulaControlled by Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, a member of Qatar's ruling family (owner, director: chairman) 24 October 2026thepeninsulaqatar.com
    5. 5
    6. 6
    7. 7

    Cited: The Jerusalem Post, The Daily Star, Asharq Al-Awsat, The Peninsula, Gulf News, Press TV, ABC News. Who these outlets are.