Saudi Arabia said Saturday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels toward Riyadh, marking another escalation in renewed fighting between the kingdom and the militant group.
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The Saudi-led coalition confirmed the interception following the early morning launch. Residents reported hearing an explosion, while journalists saw firefighters battling a blaze on an Aramco-branded fuel tank near King Khalid International Airport. No casualties were reported.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis also attempted to strike civilian infrastructure in Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan. Saudi forces thwarted those attacks, he said.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group launched missiles, cruise missiles and drones against “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. He characterized the operation as retaliation for a Saudi attempt to strike Sanaa.
The attack comes amid a conflict that has increasingly threatened Saudi territory and critical infrastructure. Houthi forces launched a ground offensive Sept. 3 and, within roughly a week, had seized most of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including Mokha and islands controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important route for global shipping.
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The United Nations says roughly 125,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.
Saudi Arabia has also faced mounting pressure on its air defenses. Regional officials cited by The Associated Press said the kingdom is running short of interceptor missiles and has sought air defense assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt.
The United States, Saudi Arabia’s principal arms supplier, has so far limited its response to intelligence-sharing rather than conducting direct strikes against the Houthis.
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