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Look: One death, 2 injuries due to drone debris falling in Saudi Arabia's Taif
The wounded includes a Saudi woman and a Pakistani resident who is in a critical condition
- PUBLISHED: Thu 17 Sept 2026, 5:39 PM
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A resident in Saudi Arabia was killed and two other people were injured due to drone debris falling in the Governorate of Taif, the Kingdom's General Directorate of Civil Defence reported on Thursday, September 17.
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The hostile drone was successfully intercepted in Taif, which is part of the larger Makkah region. Beside the fatality and the injuries, a number of buildings and cars sustained material damages.
Authorities responded to an incident of falling debris from a drone after it was intercepted and destroyed in Taif on Thursday, according to the official spokesperson for the Civil Defence. The drone had been launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. "The incident resulted in the death of a Yemeni resident, and injuries to a female citizen and a Pakistani resident, who is in a critical condition."
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Following the interception, Saudi state news agency shared images showing a car with shattered windows, Civil Defence personnel inspecting damage to a building, and a damaged wall. Take a look:
Houthis have stepped up launching drones towards Saudi Arabia recently. On Tuesday, September 15, Saudi authorities announced intercepting a hostile drone that approached the holy city of Makkah, in an attack that was widely condemned. Houthis denied launching the drone towards Islam's holiest place.
The Houthis have since last week swept through Yemeni towns along the Red Sea coast and seized islands in the Bab el-Mandeb strait at its mouth. Their latest territorial gains cement the hold of Iran and its allies on the two waterways that the wider Gulf, including top crude exporter Saudi Arabia, relies on to ship its oil.
In July, a fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the government fell apart after the group welcomed an Iranian plane to Sanaa in defiance of Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.
They later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships and territory.
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.