Two ballistic missiles fired towards Taif and Yanbu were intercepted and destroyed before they reached their targets, the coalition's official spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki, announced around midday on Saturday 24 October. His statement closed a long morning of early-warning alerts that began in Riyadh before dawn and reached the Red Sea coast by late morning. This is how the two days unfolded, based on official statements.
On Friday 23 October, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen reported that air defences had brought down two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, together with two drones heading for the Kingdom's southern region.
Shortly after 4am on Saturday, the General Directorate of Civil Defense pushed alerts through the National Early Warning Platform to residents of Riyadh, Najran and Wadi Al-Dawasir. The coalition later confirmed that a ballistic missile aimed at the capital had been intercepted and destroyed, and that a drone had been downed over the Eastern Province.
Before noon, the alerts moved west to the Makkah region and the governorates of Jeddah, Taif and Yanbu. Residents were asked to stay inside, away from windows, until further instructions.
Around midday, Al-Malki confirmed that Saudi air defences had dealt with both missiles launched by the Houthis towards Taif and Yanbu, destroying them in flight.
Soon afterwards, Civil Defense declared the danger over in Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu and the wider Makkah region. It reminded the public that filming interceptions or impact sites, or sharing and circulating information about them, can lead to legal action, and that 911 is for emergencies only. None of the official statements issued during the day mentioned any injuries.
