Saudi intercepts two missiles headed towards Makkah, Jeddah

Saudi Arabia’s air forces intercepted two ballistic missiles on Monday, including one heading for Makkah and the other for Jeddah, Al Arabiya reported, citing eyewitnesses.

The weapons were fired by Houthi militants from Yemen, the report said.

The kingdom’s air defence forces destroyed the ballistic missiles over Taif.

The kingdom’s embassy in Washington confirmed on Monday that its air forces intercepted two Iranian-made Houthi missiles in Makkah province.

The Yemeni government said that it strongly condemned the targeting of Makkah, adding that the attempted attack on the holy site was “a full-fledged terrorist act”.

Saudi Arabia has been targeted by hundreds of missile attacks since entering the Yemen civil war in 2015 to support ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Houthis.

Last week, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting in Yemen said the Houthis have fired 226 rockets towards Saudi Arabia.

Read: Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes in Yemen, says many Houthis killed and wounded

While many have been intercepted, the coalition revealed in September that 112 civilians and residents in Saudi had been killed by nearly 200 missile attacks, while hundreds had been injured.

Read: Saudi says more than 110 citizens, residents killed by missiles from Yemen to date