The Saudi-led military coalition announced, on Tuesday, the interception of a ballistic missile fired by the Ansar Allah Houthi group towards the capital, Riyadh, after the authorities issued a warning of a potential threat, while AFP reporters heard two explosions in the city.
Coalition spokesman, Turki Al-Maliki, said on the X platform that the coalition forces intercepted and destroyed “a ballistic missile fired by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh.”
On Monday, the coalition warned the Houthis against using what it described as "traditional maritime means", such as summer boats, in smuggling weapons, missiles and military equipment to Yemen.
The coalition said in a statement that these operations “pose a threat to the security of Yemen as well as regional and international security, and expose the lives and safety of civilians to danger.”
He called on the owners of boats and small ships not to cooperate with the Houthis in smuggling weapons and military equipment across the sea to the Yemeni coast, in order to protect their lives and property.
The coalition published a video clip that it said showed operations to track and target smuggled weapons and boats involved in transporting them to the Yemeni coast for the benefit of the Houthis, through organized crime networks.
Mutual attacks continue between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, amid the escalation of confrontations inside Yemen and their spread into Saudi territory.
On Monday, the Yemeni government forces announced the expansion of their military operations against the Houthis, and said that they carried out 1,164 targeting operations within 24 hours, as part of an operation dubbed “Yemen’s Dawn,” using warplanes, drones, artillery, and rocket launchers.
On the other hand, the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, announced on Monday that the group had launched a series of missile and drone attacks on oil facilities, airports and military sites in Saudi Arabia during the previous 48 hours.
Saree said that the attacks targeted an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Shaybah oil field, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and Abha International Airport. The Saudi authorities did not confirm these attacks, and it was not possible to independently verify all Houthi claims.
On Tuesday, residents of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, received alerts on their phones warning of an air threat, in light of the continuing attacks launched by the Houthis on the kingdom.
In Yemen, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting Al-Alam camp, designated for training new recruits in the security forces in Shabwa Governorate, south of the country, on Monday.
The group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a post on the X platform that the attack targeted what he described as "Saudi concentrations" in the camp, which he said was managed by Saudi officers in areas under the control of government forces.
The local authorities in Shabwa announced, in a preliminary toll reported by the official Yemeni news agency (Saba) from Aden, that 58 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured, as a result of a ballistic missile attack that targeted new recruits while they were receiving security training.
But a more recent toll reported by the Associated Press from Yemeni officials on Tuesday reported that the death toll had risen to 60 people, most of them new recruits, with at least 12 people still missing.
The local authorities in Shabwa called on the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition to strengthen security measures in the governorate and provide more early warning and air defense systems.
Saba Agency quoted the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, as saying that the attack targeted new recruits from various governorates of the country while they were lining up in the camp, demanding that the necessary measures be taken to respond to the sources of the attack.
Video clips verified by Reuters in Shabwa Governorate showed injured people and blood-stained bodies scattered on the ground.
Shabwa is located in south-central Yemen, overlooking the Gulf of Aden, and is considered one of the governorates rich in oil and gas resources, and includes the Balhaf facility for exporting liquefied natural gas.
In light of the military escalation, Saudi Arabia announced the postponement of the tenth session of the “Future Investment Initiative” conference, known as “Davos in the Desert,” to 2027, after it was scheduled to be held in Riyadh between October 26 and 29.
The CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Foundation, Princess Maha bint Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, said that the postponement decision aims to ensure that the conference is organized at the expected level in terms of the volume of participation, quality of organization and global impact, noting that the new dates will be announced soon.
The conference, which has been held since 2017, is one of the most prominent economic events hosted by the Kingdom, and brings together investors, company heads, and officials from around the world, as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract foreign investments and diversify its economy.
In a related context, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, discussed with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in a phone call on Monday, regional developments, including the ongoing Houthi attacks on civilian areas in Saudi Arabia, and both sides expressed their condemnation of these attacks.
The two ministers stressed the importance of intensifying coordination and consultation to support joint Gulf action, reduce escalation, prevent the expansion of tension, and maintain the security and stability of the region.
In light of these developments, French President Emmanuel Macron continues his Gulf tour, which he began on Monday with a visit to Kuwait and the Emirates, where he met with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the Emirati President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Macron is scheduled to visit Bahrain on Tuesday, before heading to Qatar, the fourth and final stop of his tour.
Thus, the total supplies that France has obtained pledges to secure from the three Gulf countries reach 295,000 tons of diesel per month, or just over 10 percent of the country’s consumption, according to the French presidency, which hopes that these supplies will contribute to alleviating pressures on markets and fuel prices at filling stations.
