RIYADH — Saudi Arabia said debris from two ballistic missiles intercepted by its air defences fell in the Makkah region on Wednesday, as the kingdom and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis continued to trade attacks. Saudi Civil Defence said in a statement that the missiles were launched towards the region and were intercepted and destroyed.
Saudi state television identified the debris sites as Sabuhah village, about 35 kilometres north-east of the Grand Mosque, and Wadi al-Maghmas, about 21 kilometres east of it. Saudi authorities have not provided further details about the missiles’ origin or the extent of any damage from the falling fragments.
Part of wider attacks
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said air defences destroyed five missiles and two drones on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reported. Three of them were cruise missiles launched towards the Riyadh region, and the two ballistic missiles were intercepted in western Saudi Arabia. It was the second consecutive day that Saudi air defences stopped Houthi missiles targeting the Riyadh region.
Houthi denials
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied that the group had targeted Makkah with a drone, rejecting the Saudi-led coalition’s account. It was not clear from the reports reviewed whether the Houthis have commented specifically on the two ballistic missiles reported on November 11.
Earlier incidents
The latest incident follows others in recent weeks. Saudi Civil Defence confirmed that two ballistic missiles launched towards the Makkah and Madinah regions were intercepted on October 24, 2026, with debris falling at four locations across western Saudi Arabia. The Houthis denied targeting the holy cities, saying they aimed only at oil facilities and military bases.
After the late-October interceptions, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi described the strikes as a grave violation of the sanctity of the Holy Sites. Saudi forces also intercepted a Houthi missile launched towards Makkah in 2017.
