Houthi rebels in Yemen say they fired a barrage of drones and ballistic and cruise missiles at Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and at energy facilities along the Red Sea coast on Saturday. Saudi officials confirmed intercepting one ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh but did not verify other strikes or report casualties.
Air raid sirens sounded in Riyadh for the first time since the Houthis intensified attacks on the kingdom in July. Witnesses described hearing explosions and seeing thick black smoke rise from fuel tanks near Riyadh’s international airport, where flights were briefly delayed or canceled. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said defenses also blocked attempted strikes on several other cities.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea said the attacks targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities belonging to state oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, framing them as retaliation for recent Saudi strikes on Sanaa, Yemen’s Houthi-held capital.
The escalation comes amid Yemen’s grinding civil war between the Houthis and the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government. Unconfirmed reports citing military sources on both sides say fighting killed 48 people Saturday alone, while the UN’s migration agency reported that more than 104,000 people have been displaced by recent violence.
The U.S. State Department urged Americans in the region to be cautious and prepared for travel disruptions, warning the conflict “has the potential to escalate rapidly.” Read the full BBC report for more details.
Source: Houthis say they targeted Saudi capital with ballistic missiles (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: aeroman3, PDM 1.0 (via Openverse).