Houthi Rebels Target Saudi Capital with Ballistic Missile
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels attempted to attack its capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile. The missile was intercepted by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, but some residents reported hearing an explosion and seeing smoke near the airport.
The attempt on Riyadh is the first targeting of the city since the escalation in fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government, which has opened a new front in the Iran war. The Houthi rebels have claimed to have targeted 'sensitive sites' in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu.
The statement by the Saudi-led coalition also said that the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, as well as in Taif, Baysh, and Farasan. The Houthi military spokesperson claimed they attacked with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones.
Recent days have seen one escalation after another, with Saudi Arabia reporting that the Houthis tried to attack Mecca, Islam's holiest city, with a drone last Wednesday. On Thursday, the first civilian casualty was reported as debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia.