• Coalition downs six drones launched towards cities, including Madina, as interception debris kills two •
asserted
debris → down → two
Rebels deny ‘deep operations’ in Saudi territory
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Rebels → deny → territory
• Iran says Egypt entering Yemen war makes situation ‘more difficult’
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situation → say → war
• Macron arrives in Riyadh for ‘surprise solidarity visit’
RIYADH:
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Macron → arrive → visit
As the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement continues to escalate, the Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday said it had intercepted six drones launched towards the kingdom, including in the Madina region.
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it → continue → region
“Four drones launched towards the kingdom have been intercepted and destroyed,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki posted on X, adding in a second post that the interceptions took place in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern region as well as Madina.
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interceptions → launch → region
Al-Malki, who did not specify who was behind the launches, later said drones had been intercepted, also in the eastern region.
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drones → specify → region
The Houthis denied having targeted the kingdom, with military spokesman Yahya Saree saying their forces had not carried out any “deep” operations in Saudi territory.
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forces → deny → territory
The Saudi energy ministry said that falling debris from the successful interception of a drone targeting an oil facility “resulted in the deaths of two individuals, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others”.
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debris → say → others
It did not say who launched the drone aimed at Shaybah oil field near the UAE border.
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who → say → border
Within Yemen, the Houthis claimed an attack on Wednesday on a military camp near the airport in the southern city of Aden, where the Yemeni government is based.
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government → claim → Aden
“Our armed forces were able to target the Saudi enemy’s operations room in the Badr camp in Aden with a ballistic missile,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.
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Saree → target → statement
A government military source and a local official told Reuters the group also attacked Riyan airport in the southeastern coastal city of Mukalla.
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group → tell → Mukalla
“The Houthis used missiles and drones to target a military base housing forces from the Saudi-led coalition at Al Rayyan airport,” one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
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one → use → AFP
Saree said the group had targeted “military equipment transported by the Saudi enemy via military cargo planes to Al Rayyan airport”.
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group → say → airport
Egypt to support Saudis
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Egypt → support → Saudis
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Cairo’s proposed military support for Riyadh was to “defend Saudi territory, and does not include an attack on Yemen,” state-linked media reported.
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media → say → Yemen
Al-Qahera News, which is closely linked to state intelligence and is to broadcast a speech by Sisi, reported that he also said “the stability of our brothers in the Gulf concerns Egypt’s national security”.
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stability → link → security
The speech itself has not yet been aired by Wednesday night.
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speech → air → night
Egypt’s parliament on Monday delayed a debate on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia until next week.
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parliament → delay → week
Sisi had asked lawmakers to approve military support for Saudi Arabia if requested by the kingdom, which has come under near-daily attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.
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which → ask → Houthis
Iran warns against interference
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Iran → warn → interference
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that any interference in the Yemen war by Egypt or any other country would make the situation “more difficult”.
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situation → say → Egypt
“Egypt has sufficient experience to avoid entangling itself in such a highly complex conflict,” said Iran’s top diplomat in an interview with Iraqi state broadcaster Al-Iraqiya aired on Tuesday.
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diplomat → have → Tuesday
“We believe that any foreign presence or interference will only make resolving this issue more difficult,” Mr Araghchi noted.
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Araghchi → believe → issue
He added that Egypt has said it “will not enter Yemen or engage in a war against Yemen”.
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it → add → Yemen
The decade-plus war between the Iran-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government reignited in July.
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war → back → July
Macron meets MbS
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Macron → meet → MbS
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Riyadh in a surprise “solidarity” visit, and met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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Macron → arrive → Salman
Macron is the first Western leader to visit since the Houthis intensified their attacks on the kingdom this month.
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Houthis → visit → kingdom
The trip is part of a Gulf tour to secure diesel and petrol supplies as Macron seeks to bring down energy prices following violent protests in France sparked by rising living costs that have created a political crisis for the president.
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that → secure → president
The Aporia
