Riyadh neutralizes 5 drones in Eastern, Madinah regions
Shafaq News- Riyadh/ Sanaa
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed five drones over the Madinah and Eastern regions, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, said on Wednesday.
No further details were provided about the drones' origin or intended targets.
التحالف: اعتراض وتدمير مسيرة أطلقت باتجاه المنطقة الشرقية. https://t.co/WowzgHwYuU
— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) October 21, 2026
التحالف: اعتراض وتدمير 4 مسيّرات أطلقت باتجاه المملكة. https://t.co/al37TrkC6b
— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) October 21, 2026
The attacks have intensified since forces from Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport in July, breaking a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in the country's civil war.
Britain said on Tuesday that it would expand its military support for Saudi Arabia to include “defensive” air patrols by Royal Air Force jets.
Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria and Iraq, recently told the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, that President Donald Trump “has been clear that he supports Saudi Arabia, and the backing that they need logistically we'll supply.”
Separately, UN human rights Chief Volker Turk warned thatHouthis (Ansarallah) had imposed a siege on Taiz, cutting the city off from most supply routes and putting civilians at “grave risk.”
A strategic gateway to southern Yemen, Taiz has been a focal point of fighting since the civil war began more than a decade ago. The city is also one of Yemen's most important historic and cultural centers.
Late on Tuesday, Yemen's government forces said they had thwarted Houthi attacks in several areas across Taiz, killing dozens of Houthi fighters.
The group began advancing toward the city last month after capturing the port city of Mokha, a strategic location for controlling shipping through the Red Sea.
Turk urged both the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces to avoid using explosive weapons in areas where they could strike civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency, meanwhile, accused Saudi warplanes of killing eight fishermen in two airstrikes targeting boats off the Al-Kadha coast in the Dhubab district of western Taiz. The agency alleged that the aircraft also targeted survivors attempting to escape the first strike aboard another vessel.
