SRINAGAR: Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards Riyadh on Saturday, in what was reported as the first attempted strike on the capital since fighting involving the Iran-backed group intensified amid the wider Iran war.
The Saudi-led coalition said the missile was intercepted, while residents reported hearing an explosion. A plume of smoke was later seen near the airport. No casualties or damage were immediately reported, the Associated Press reported.
The coalition also said it had thwarted Houthi attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, as well as Taif, Baysh and Farasan.
The Houthis, however, claimed responsibility for attacks targeting what they described as “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities belonging to Saudi oil company Aramco in Yanbu. The group claimed the strikes caused “massive fires”.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group had launched cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones. He also accused Saudi Arabia of attempting to attack Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the Houthis.
The latest exchanges follow several Houthi attacks in recent days. Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that it intercepted a Houthi drone heading towards Mecca, while Saudi civil defence officials said on Thursday that debris from another intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident in the country.
The escalation comes alongside intensified fighting inside Yemen, where the Houthis have advanced along the Red Sea coast and captured the port city of Mokha and islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Regional officials told AP that Saudi Arabia is facing shortages of missile interceptors and has requested air-defence assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt.
