Saudi Arabia: Al-Houthi rebel group claim responsibility for missile targeting Khamis Mushait late Feb. 11 /update 1

Event

The Al-Houthi rebel group in northern Yemen claimed responsibility, Feb. 12, for a missile attack targeting King Khalid Airbase in Khamis Mushait, Asir province, Feb. 11. The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) reported late Feb. 11 that they had intercepted and destroyed a suspected Al-Houthi-launched missile without providing further details about the exact time of the incident and whether the missile interception occurred over Yemeni or Saudi airspace.

Additional cross-border attacks are almost certain to occur in the coming days.

Context

The lack of objective sources covering the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and Al-Houthi rebels makes it challenging to independently verify reports of longer-range weaponized drone and ballistic missile attacks or intercepts inside Saudi Arabia. Each side relies heavily on propaganda and misdirection in the media to shape the narrative to its policy objectives. As is often the case when reports of an alleged drone or ballistic missile attacks or intercepts emerge, neither Riyadh nor the Al-Houthi rebels provide much, if any, verifiable proof to support their respective claims.

The Al-Houthi rebels have demonstrated an intent to target major population centers in Saudi Arabia with weaponized drones and ballistic missiles. While their precise tactical capabilities are unclear, the rebel group claims to possess several short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) with ranges from 30 km (18 miles) to 1,000 km (620 miles). The group, with help from Iran, also claims to possess several indigenously produced drones with ranges from 15 km (9 miles) to 500 km (310 miles). Nevertheless, the Saudi military employs a wide array of air defense platforms and appears to have significantly mitigated the drone and ballistic missile threat in its southern border provinces; however, falling debris post-intercept remains a potentially lethal hazard.

Previous Al-Houthi cross-border attacks have resulted in civilian casualties; however, most are due to shorter-range mortar and rocket attacks that concentrate near areas within 10 km (6 miles) of the Saudi-Yemeni border.