RIYADH: Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh at dawn on Saturday, according to Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki, as a fire broke out at a fuel depot near King Khalid International Airport.
Firefighters extinguished a blaze involving a fuel tank bearing the logo of Saudi oil giant Aramco at a depot near the airport, according to an AFP journalist at the scene. Footage verified by AFP showed a column of black smoke rising above buildings around the airport.
Saudi authorities had earlier issued an overnight air raid alert, while residents in parts of Riyadh reported hearing explosions.
Saudi Arabia says missile intercepted
Al-Malki said in a post on X that Saudi forces had “successfully intercepted and destroyed” a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh.
He said the group had also attempted to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu, adding that the attacks had been thwarted by Saudi air defences.
Saudi Arabia has carried out repeated airstrikes against Houthi-held areas in response to the group’s recent offensive.
The Houthis, however, said their attacks were retaliatory. Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had conducted two operations involving ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones.
According to Saree, one operation targeted what he described as sensitive sites in Riyadh, while the other targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
Airport operations disrupted
Hours after the early morning alert, residents told AFP they heard what sounded like multiple explosions across parts of the Saudi capital.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported major disruption at King Khalid International Airport, briefly placing the airport at its highest disruption level before normal air traffic began to resume.
The US State Department and its embassies in the region also issued a security alert, warning that the ongoing conflict had the potential to escalate rapidly.
The department said Iranian-supported Houthis had engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks involving civilian airports.
Saudi Arabia issues first air raid alerts for Riyadh as Houthi attacks escalate
Houthi offensive raises regional tensions
The reported missile launch comes amid a rapid Houthi offensive in Yemen, during which the group has seized significant territory along the country’s Red Sea coast.
The developments have increased pressure on Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
The incident also comes days after Riyadh accused the Houthis of targeting Makkah, describing the alleged incident as an attack on the holy city. The Houthis denied the accusation and called it a false claim.
Saudi Arabia has responded to the Houthi advance with repeated airstrikes, while the Houthis have reported carrying out retaliatory attacks.
The United States, according to Axios, recently declined a Saudi request to strike the Houthis. Washington subsequently approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, with the State Department saying the deal was intended to help the kingdom deter current and future threats.
UN reports displacement as fighting intensifies
Anna Jacobs of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington told AFP that Saudi Arabia was entering a new phase of escalation with the Houthis, while noting that negotiations would ultimately be needed to end the conflict.
The United Nations has said renewed fighting has displaced more than 112,000 people, while nearly 3,000 others have crossed the sea to Djibouti.
Yemen’s war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and other areas, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015.
A fragile truce reached in 2022 broke down in July after the Houthis challenged Riyadh’s control of Yemeni airspace by allowing an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen.
The latest escalation comes as the Houthis strengthen their positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, with AFP reporting that the group has been installing radar systems and digging tunnels in areas under its control.
