The Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed at least 11 drones and one ballistic missile detected in Saudi airspace on Thursday, 22 October 2026, according to coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki. The Saudi drone interceptions included drones heading towards Riyadh and the holy city of Medina, officials said.
Al-Malki said the drones were intercepted over Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Medina, while a ballistic missile was intercepted as it headed towards the Najran area in south-western Saudi Arabia, according to Anadolu Agency reporting on 23 October.
Earlier attacks killed four people
Saudi authorities had earlier reported that at least four people were killed in a series of attacks in the Eastern Province, according to the Jawawa report. Two people were killed by falling debris after air defences foiled a drone attack on an Aramco oil facility, officials said.
Two others died in an attack that struck King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, officials said. On Wednesday, 21 October, the coalition said its air defences had intercepted seven drones, some heading towards Medina.
No further details were given about where the 22 October drones came from or where they were launched, or whether the interceptions caused damage or injuries, officials said. The announcement came as Saudi Arabia faced repeated attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group based in Yemen.
Pattern of near-daily attacks
Since March 2025, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis, officials said. The group has controlled strategic areas of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since September 2014.
On 16 October, the coalition intercepted three drones in the southern and Riyadh regions, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and a ballistic missile towards Yanbu, al-Malki said, according to the Saudi Press Agency. On 18 October, two ballistic missiles and three drones were intercepted, officials said.
Officials said the continuing escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis since July, plus renewed fighting between the group and Yemen’s government forces, had raised concerns for civilian aviation, energy infrastructure and shipping.
Coalition officials said air defence crews remained on high alert across the kingdom, and they urged residents to report falling debris to civil defence rather than handling it, while airlines and airports were advised to check for any temporary airspace restrictions linked to interception operations.
