Saudi Arabia: Saudi air defences intercept Houthi UAV targeting southern Saudi Arabia October 7

Event

Saudi Arabian military sources reported that Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched by Yemen-based Houthi rebels towards southern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, October 7. The drone was intercepted and destroyed over Yemeni territory. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damages.

Further cross-border attacks are possible in areas close to the Yemen border over the near term.

Context

Yemen-based Houthi rebels have launched hundreds of rockets, missiles, and UAVs into Saudi Arabia since 2015, when Saudi forces intervened in the country in support of the Yemeni government against in the Yemeni Civil War. Towns and cities in the southwestern border provinces of Jizan, Asir, and Najran have frequently been targeted in such attacks, but longer-range ballistic missiles have also been launched towards Riyadh, Jeddah, and other major cities in the country. Many of these missiles, rockets, and UAVs have been intercepted by Saudi air defenses, but hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured in such attacks since the beginning of the conflict.

Advice

Those in southwestern Saudi Arabia are advised to monitor developments and heed any directives issued by local authorities. Travelers should familiarise themselves with missile attack procedures in their particular area of operations and the location of the nearest air raid shelters.