Early on Saturday 26 September, two Houthi ballistic missiles were fired at Khamis Mushait, a city high in the mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia. Both were shot down, according to the Saudi-led coalition. At the same time, two Houthi drones were heading for the Riyadh area. They were intercepted too.

Nobody has said exactly what the missiles were aimed at, but the city's biggest military target is obvious. Khamis Mushait is home to King Khalid Air Base and its F-15 squadrons, the Royal Saudi Air Force jets that have been flying strikes over Yemen, and one of which went down over Marib ten days ago.

Missiles at Khamis Mushait, Drones at Riyadh

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki announced the interceptions on X early on Saturday. According to Euronews and The National, Saudi air defences shot down two drones flying toward the Riyadh area and two ballistic missiles targeting Khamis Mushait. No damage or casualties were reported. The coalition did not say which systems made the intercepts.

The attacks came hours after military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met in Riyadh to discuss regional threats, The National reports. Since the Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, attacks on Saudi cities and shipping have become a regular pattern. In September, Houthi missiles reached Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport for the first time.

Why Khamis Mushait Matters

King Khalid Air Base sits just outside Khamis Mushait at an elevation of about 2,050 metres. It is home to the RSAF's Wing 5. Its fighter squadrons, No. 6 and No. 55, fly the F-15SA, the most advanced F-15 variant in Saudi service, and No. 6 also operates the older F-15S.

Those squadrons are close to the front: Khamis Mushait is less than 150 km from the Yemeni border, which puts it within easy reach of Houthi missiles and a short flight from targets in northern Yemen. On 16 September, the Houthis claimed an F-15 shot down over Marib; an analysis by Army Recognition identified it as an F-15SA of No. 55 Squadron.

The base has a long combat history. In the 1991 Gulf War, US Air Force F-117 Nighthawks flew their Desert Storm strikes from King Khalid Air Base, and RAF Tornados also operated from there.

A Widening Air War

The Saudi coalition has been answering with airstrikes of its own. On Friday, the Houthis reported 14 Saudi air and missile strikes on areas including Taiz, Amran, Marib and Saada, according to Euronews. The UN reports that between 6 August and 18 September, 674 people were killed and nearly 3,000 injured in Yemen, with more than 122,000 displaced.

Saudi Arabia's allies are adding to its air defences. The UK has deployed an RAF Voyager tanker, and France is sending radars and air defences to Yanbu. As long as the Houthis keep firing at airports and air bases, those systems will keep being tested.

Times of India coverage of the latest wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi cities.

Sources: Euronews, The National, Wikipedia (King Khalid Air Base), Army Recognition, UN figures as reported by Euronews