Saudi Arabia claims to have shot down three drones; Houthis claim responsibility for attack on airport and airbase

November 4, 2026

Riyadh: Tensions between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia appear to be escalating once again. The Saudi-led coalition claims to have shot down three drones targeting its territory. One of these drones was intercepted over the western region of Mecca. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed to have targeted an airport and airbase in southwestern Saudi Arabia with drones and ballistic missiles.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki, speaking on the social media platform X, said coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Mecca region. However, he did not provide further details.

He later added that two other drones were also shot down. One was destroyed in the eastern province, while the other was heading towards the southern region.

Houthis Target Abha Airport and King Khalid Airbase

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sariya claimed in a statement released on X that the group carried out two attacks in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Asir region.

According to him, the first attack targeted Abha International Airport with a drone, while the second attack targeted King Khalid Airbase in Khamis Mushait with a ballistic missile. The Houthi spokesman claimed that the drone attack disrupted air traffic at the airport and that the missile landed directly on the airbase.

Claims of Attacks on Government Forces in Yemen Also

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sariya stated that the group’s forces within Yemen fired several ballistic missiles targeting government forces in the Ras al-Arah and al-Mudarabah areas of the southern province of Lahj, located near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

He claimed that dozens of people were killed in these attacks. Additionally, several ballistic missiles were fired at forces deployed in the eastern part of Al-Jawf province, bordering Saudi Arabia in northern Yemen.

According to the Houthis, a large number of military personnel were killed or injured in these attacks, and several military vehicles were destroyed. However, claims of damage and casualties in these attacks could not be independently verified.

Houthis also warn Saudi Aramco

Meanwhile, a Houthi military source, quoted by the Sanaa-based Houthi-supported Saba news agency, warned investors in Saudi Arabia’s oil company Aramco of potential financial and security risks.

The source warned that Aramco’s facilities remain within the range of Houthi forces’ missile and drone fire.

Conflict intensifies again in Yemen

These developments come amid a renewed escalation of the long-running conflict in Yemen. Houthi rebels are also launching missile and drone attacks into Saudi Arabia, as ground fighting and airstrikes intensify within the country.

The conflict in Yemen began in late 2014, when Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Since then, conflict has persisted in Yemen, raising tensions over regional security.