Interceptions and accounts of the targets
Saudi Press Agency, cited by Antara, reported that debris from the intercepted missiles landed in Mecca's Wadi Al-Mughammas and at locations in Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh.
Reuters reported that the Saudi-led coalition identified Taif and Yanbu, rather than Mecca or Medina, as the intended destinations of the two missiles. Shortly after the interceptions, the Houthis denied attacking the two holy cities and said their operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree named several targets, according to Reuters. They included King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, crude oil pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline. He also listed King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
Gulf and Islamic organizations condemn attacks
Albudaiwi said the attacks put civilians' lives and safety at risk and amounted to an escalation of criminal acts threatening regional security and stability. Endangering Mecca, he said, violated the sanctity of holy sites and offended Muslims around the world. He rejected any justification or tolerance for such attacks.
The GCC chief linked Saudi Arabia's security to that of every council member and pledged full support for Saudi measures to defend its territory and protect everyone living there. He also praised the readiness of Saudi air defense forces and their effectiveness in intercepting and neutralizing the missiles.
Albudaiwi urged the international community to respond firmly and take concrete action to stop Houthi attacks, according to the account carried by Saudi Press Agency and Antara.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also condemned the attacks. In a statement from the OIC, he described the targeting of Wadi Al-Mughammas, near the sacred plain of Arafat, with a ballistic missile as showing disregard for holy sites and civilian safety.
Renewed fighting and earlier attacks
Reuters reported that renewed fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis had broken a UN-brokered truce reached in 2022. The agreement had largely stopped cross-border attacks.
Earlier in October 2026, as the Houthis intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, they warned airlines not to use the kingdom's airspace. Their warning exempted only the airspace above Mecca and Medina, according to Reuters.
Two days before the October 24 interceptions, the Houthis said they had attacked the Saudi Defense Ministry in Riyadh, Aramco facilities in Yanbu and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi authorities reported that two people were killed at the Dammam airport, Reuters reported.
On October 24, Yemen's Saudi-backed government also accused the Houthis of firing three ballistic missiles at coast guard sites in Aden, the southern Yemeni port city, according to Reuters.
