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Saudi authorities had issued an overnight air raid alert ahead of the reported missile attack.
Fire broke out near King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. (Reuters)
A ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement towards Riyadh was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi Arabia’s air defences on Saturday, according to the Saudi-led coalition.
The development came after a fire broke out near King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. An AFP journalist saw firefighters putting out a blaze involving a fuel tank bearing the logo of Saudi oil giant Aramco at a fuel depot near the airport. Footage shared online and verified by AFP showed a column of black smoke rising above airport buildings.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said Saudi Arabia’s air force “successfully intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards the city of Riyadh at dawn on Saturday,” in a post on X.
He also accused the Houthis of attempting to target “civilians and civilian infrastructure in Bisha, Taif, Farasan, and Yanbu,” saying the attacks “were thwarted by the Gulf monarchy’s air defences”.
The Houthis, meanwhile, said they had carried out attacks in response to recent Saudi strikes. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on Telegram that the group conducted “two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones”.
“The first targeted sensitive sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the second targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu.”
Saudi authorities had issued an overnight air raid alert ahead of the reported missile attack. Residents in Riyadh told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that they heard what sounded like a series of explosions echoing through parts of the capital several hours after the alert.
Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 reported “major problems” at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and temporarily placed it under its maximum disruption index before normal traffic began to resume.
US Issues Security Alert
The latest developments came as the Houthis have, in recent weeks, staged a lightning offensive, seizing swathes of territory in one of the world’s poorest countries and leaving Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, scrambling to respond.
Saudi Arabia has carried out scores of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas but has failed to stop the advance.
The US State Department and its embassies around the region issued a security alert on Saturday, warning that the conflict “has the potential to escalate rapidly”.
“Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports,” it said.
Jordan, Bahrain Condemn Houthi Attacks On Saudi Arabia
Jordan and Bahrain on Saturday condemned the latest Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, voicing solidarity with Riyadh and saying attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Fouad Al-Majali said Amman had “absolute” solidarity with Saudi Arabia and backed all measures taken to protect its sovereignty, security, stability and citizens.
The Jordanian ministry said Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Riyadh. It added that attempts to strike civilians and civilian infrastructure in Baysh, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu amounted to a “blatant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, a threat to its security, stability and territorial integrity, and a flagrant breach of international law and the UN Charter.”
Bahrain also condemned what it described as an escalation in Iranian-backed Houthi attacks. Its Foreign Ministry called the attacks a “blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”
The ministry reaffirmed “Bahrain’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its complete support for all measures it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, security and stability and protect its citizens and residents on its territory.”
Bahrain also urged the UN Security Council to “fulfil its responsibilities and take a firm stance” against the attacks and hold those responsible accountable.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Ask News18A ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement toward Riyadh was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defences on Saturday. Following the attack, a fire broke out on an Aramco fuel tank at a depot near King Khalid International Airport, sending a column of black smoke into the air and causing major disruptions to flight traffic.
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Aanchal is the Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than four years of experience in national and international news. My work involves covering breaking news, politics, current affairs and developments…Read More
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