Saudi Arabia says Yemen’s Houthi rebels attempted to attack its capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile, with the Saudi-led coalition stating the missile was intercepted. Several outlets report that residents in Riyadh heard an explosion and that smoke rose near the airport area during the early-hours incident.
The coalition also says its air defences destroyed other Houthi weapons, including drones and ballistic missiles aimed at targets in Saudi Arabia’s south, such as Khamis Mushait. Reports also mention alleged Houthi strikes against other locations including Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan, and that attempts to target civilian infrastructure were thwarted.
Outlets differ mainly in emphasis and extra detail. Some focus on the Riyadh attempt and the visual accounts of smoke, while others highlight the broader pattern of attacks and Saudi air-defence interceptions. A Gulf Cooperation Council official condemns what it calls dangerous escalation and a violation of Saudi sovereignty. The Houthis, according to one report, claim without evidence to have targeted sensitive sites and facilities, including around Aramco in Yanbu, but no independent confirmation of damage is provided in the accounts.
