Houthis Fire Ballistic Missile at Riyadh as Saudi Air Defenses Intercept a Wave of Attacks

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization launched a ballistic missile toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, at dawn on Saturday, September 19, 2026, as part of a broader wave of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed the launch and said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed the missile. The coalition said its defenses also thwarted attempted Houthi attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure in Baysh, Taif, the Farasan Islands, and Yanbu.

Saudi Civil Defense issued aerial threat warnings in Riyadh and Al-Kharj, southeast of the capital, before later announcing that the danger had passed. Residents heard explosions in Riyadh, and witnesses saw flames and thick black smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport, where firefighters extinguished a blaze involving a fuel tank bearing the Saudi Aramco logo at a nearby fuel depot. Saudi authorities have not publicly established that the fire was caused by a successful Houthi strike.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for a large-scale operation using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, saying it targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed that those targets were hit. The attack comes amid an escalation in fighting, with the Houthis increasing their missile and drone attacks on the kingdom over the past several weeks. On Thursday, September 17, 2026, falling debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident and wounded two others in Taif.

(INN/VFI News)

“He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” – Psalm 46:9