Defence Ministry Denies Reports of Threat to Prince Sultan Air Base as Technical Glitch Diverts Ballistic Missile into Desert
RIYADH — A ballistic missile fired from Yemen on Monday veered significantly off course due to technical malfunctions, landing harmlessly in an unpopulated desert region near the Saudi-Yemeni border, the Saudi Ministry of Defence confirmed.
The incident, which occurred early Monday, June 8, triggered brief precautionary air raid sirens across nearby sectors after the projectile suddenly disappeared from tracking screens close to the frontier. Saudi military officials have explicitly clarified that the missile was bound for a different regional state and did not pose a direct threat to the Kingdom.
Air Base Target Reports Denied
Major General Turki Al Malki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, strongly dismissed initial media speculation suggesting that the Prince Sultan Air Base in the Al Kharj Governorate was the intended target.
“Technical reviews and detailed investigations have conclusively proven that the missile suffered a critical system failure mid-flight, causing it to deviate entirely from its original trajectory,” Major General Al Malki stated. He reiterated that the strategic air base remained fully secure and was at no point in danger.
Zero Casualties and Ongoing Probe
Defence authorities confirmed that because the missile impacted an entirely uninhabited border zone, the failed launch resulted in zero casualties, injuries, or structural damage.
Specialized military engineering teams and technical analysts are currently conducting a comprehensive investigation at the crash site to determine the specific mechanics behind the launch failure and identify the exact type of ballistic hardware utilized.
