Saudi Arabia on Saturday confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels attempted to strike the capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile, in the first reported
attack on the city since fighting between the two sides escalated. The Saudi-led coalition said the missile was intercepted early on Saturday. Some residents reported hearing an explosion, while smoke was later seen near the airport. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The coalition also said the Houthis had attempted to target civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, as well as Taif, Baysh and Farasan. It said the attacks were thwarted but provided no further details. The Houthis claimed they had targeted "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, saying the attacks caused "massive fires". The group did not provide evidence for the claim. Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said the group had used cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones. He also accused Saudi Arabia of attempting to target the rebel-held Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The latest attacks come amid a wider escalation involving the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which is a close US ally.
On Thursday, Saudi civil defence said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia. It was the first reported civilian death linked to the latest escalation.
A day earlier, Saudi Arabia said the Houthis had attempted to target Mecca with a drone. Riyadh said the drone was intercepted and described the security of the city, Islam's holiest site and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, as a "red line". The Houthis denied the accusation.
The United States has signalled that it is not currently directly involved in fighting the Houthis. Regional officials told the Associated Press that Saudi Arabia was running low on missile interceptors and had sought air-defence assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt.
Fighting has also intensified inside Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government.
The Houthis moved down Yemen's Red Sea coast more than a week ago, taking control of the key port city of Mokha and islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
The gains have given the rebels greater surveillance of shipping passing through the strategic waterway. The Houthis have said they are targeting only Saudi vessels.
