Saudi forces said on Tuesday they had intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the capital, Riyadh, after authorities issued a danger warning. AFP journalists in the city reported hearing two blasts.
Turki Al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen’s government in its war against the Houthis, announced the interception. He said the missile had been destroyed after being fired at the city.
Warning and blasts heard in the Saudi capital
The Saudi civil defence posted a statement on X saying a National Early Warning Platform alert had been issued over a potential danger in Riyadh. A few minutes later, the agency said the threat had gone, stating that the danger had passed.
Houthi strikes disrupt investment and air travel
The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have reached an unprecedented scale. They forced the postponement of a major investment conference, a setback to Riyadh’s efforts to attract more foreign capital and diversify its economy.
The deadly attacks, carried out by the Iran-backed Houthis, have also forced Riyadh airport to shut. The Saudi air force has regularly targeted the group in retaliation amid fighting inside Yemen between the Houthis and the Riyadh-backed government.
Truce collapse and Red Sea offensive in Yemen
A fragile 2022 truce fell apart in July, after the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in defiance of Riyadh’s control over Yemeni airspace. That move set off a spate of attacks.
The Houthis later declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities. In September, they pushed Yemeni government forces from positions along the Red Sea coastline in a lightning campaign.
