Houthis Target Riyadh With Ballistic Missile, Saudi Says

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that Yemen's Houthi rebels attempted to strike Riyadh with a ballistic missile, marking the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since fighting escalated with the Iran-backed rebels, opening a new front in the wider Iran war. The Saudi-led coalition said the dawn attempt was intercepted, though the confirmation came only later in the day. Some Riyadh residents reported hearing an explosion, and authorities in the capital and the nearby city of Al-Kharj had earlier issued telephone alerts warning of a possible aerial threat. The coalition also said Houthi attempts to strike civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, as well as in Taif, Baysh and Farasan, were thwarted. The Houthis claimed, without offering evidence, that they had targeted "sensitive sites" in Riyadh along with facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, alleging the strikes had caused major fires. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group used a combination of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones, and claimed Saudi Arabia had attempted to strike the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, though he gave no further details. The attack follows a rapid escalation in recent days, including the first reported civilian death on the Saudi side after debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident, and an earlier claim by Saudi Arabia that the Houthis had attempted to strike Mecca with a drone, which the rebels denied. The United States has said it currently has no active fight with the Houthis.