Saudi intercepts ‘ballistic missile’ fired by Yemeni rebels
Saudi air defences intercepted a ‘ballistic missile’ fired by Yemeni rebels at the kingdom's southern coastal city of Jizan, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels said.
It was the latest in a series of such attacks.
The coalition said: ‘Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Huthi militias targeting Jizan’.
The Huthis, in a statement on their news outlet Al-Masirah, claimed that they fired a ‘Badr 1’ ballistic missile and said it struck Jizan Regional Airport.
AFP was unable to reach the airport for comment, but open-source flight information appeared to show flights arriving and departing on time.
Saudi Arabia has since March 2015 led a coalition of Arab states fighting to roll back the Huthi rebels in Yemen and restore its neighbour's internationally-recognised government to power.
Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed in the conflict, in what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
In March, an Egyptian labourer became the first known fatality in a rebel missile attack on the Saudi capital.
Saudi Arabia accuses its rival Iran of smuggling missiles to the Huthis -- a charge Tehran denies.
More from Defence Notes
-
Taiwan approved for $11 billion weapon purchase from US
The US State Department’s approval of a multi-billion-dollar sale of weapons to Taiwan includes tactical mission networks equipment, uncrewed aerial systems, artillery rocket systems and self-propelled howitzers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.
-
Ireland spells out $2.3 billion shopping list in five-year defence spending plan
Ireland’s multi-annual investment in capital defence spending is set to rise from €300m in 2026 to €360m in 2029–2030 with major upgrades across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.
-
US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry
The 2025 NSS has emphasised investment in the US nuclear and air defence inventory and national industry, but it leaves multiple unanswered questions on how the White House will implement this approach.
-
Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners
While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.
-
NATO experiments with solutions to integrate networks, AI and uncrewed systems
During the latest edition of the NATO DiBaX, the alliance tested multiple capabilities to inform requirements for future efforts.