Saudi air defenses have intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired at the capital Riyadh by the Houthis in Yemen. This was announced by the official spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Major General Turki al-Maliki.
“The air defenses have intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh“, al-Maliki said in a statement quoted by Arab News. Shortly before this, the early warning system had issued alerts about a possible air threat in the areas of Riyadh, Najran and the southern province of Wadi ad-Dawasir. Residents of the capital heard two loud explosions.
A series of interceptions
The missile towards Riyadh was at least the third aerial target downed by coalition forces in a series of attacks. A drone targeting Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province was previously intercepted.
In a separate statement, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting the cities of Taif and Yanbu. The Saudi Civil Defense issued danger warnings for Jeddah, Yanbu, Taif and Mecca, which were later canceled.
The Saudi Civil Defense also reported falling debris after the interception of two missiles targeting the Mecca and Medina regions. Debris was recorded in areas around Mecca, Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. The statement did not give any casualty figures.
The new interceptions are part of a series of missile and drone attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia that have intensified in recent weeks. Among the targets hit recently was the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which has been targeted several times.
Sources: arabnews.com, beta.kuwaittimes.com, saudigazette.com.sa