RIYADH: Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement towards Riyadh at dawn on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition said, as a fire broke out at a fuel depot near King Khalid International Airport.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the missile was intercepted before reaching the Saudi capital. He also said Houthi forces attempted to target civilian areas and infrastructure in Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu, but the attacks were thwarted by Saudi air defence systems.
Firefighters extinguished a blaze involving a fuel tank bearing the logo of Saudi oil giant Aramco at a fuel depot near King Khalid International Airport. Footage verified by AFP showed a column of black smoke rising above the airport area.
Saudi authorities had issued an overnight air raid alert for Riyadh, while residents reported hearing explosions across parts of the capital. An all-clear was later issued after the alert was lifted.
FlightRadar24 reported major disruption at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport before flight operations began returning to normal.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they had carried out two military operations involving ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the first operation targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh, while the second targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
The latest attack marks the first reported Houthi strike targeting Riyadh since the recent escalation in fighting, adding to tensions between the group and Saudi Arabia.
The United States issued a security alert warning that the conflict had the potential to escalate rapidly and said Iranian-supported Houthis had engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks involving civilian airports.
The attack came days after Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of targeting Makkah, a claim the group denied. Saudi Arabia has also carried out airstrikes against Houthi-held areas in Yemen as the group has expanded its military operations along the country’s Red Sea coast.
The renewed fighting has displaced more than 112,000 people inside Yemen, according to the United Nations, while thousands more have crossed the Red Sea into Djibouti.
The latest escalation follows the collapse of a fragile truce that had significantly reduced fighting since 2022. The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015.
The Houthis have recently expanded their control along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, raising concerns over the security of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key route for global shipping.