The coalition said the missiles were aimed at Riyadh and southern Saudi Arabia. Residents of the capital were told to take shelter, then civil defense said the danger had passed.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted 3 missiles on Tuesday: two fired toward the capital, Riyadh, and another aimed at southern Saudi Arabia. Residents in Riyadh received text-message instructions to take shelter because of an aerial threat; Saudi Arabia’s civil defense agency later told them the danger had passed.
The coalition supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government in its fighting against the Houthis. The interceptions follow attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure as the coalition backs a Yemeni government offensive to retake territory with air strikes.
Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki blamed the Houthis for Tuesday’s attacks. He said air defenses destroyed a ballistic missile and a cruise missile over Riyadh, and another ballistic missile over the south. Ballistic missiles follow an arcing path, while cruise missiles use powered flight through the atmosphere.
AFP said multiple explosions were heard in Riyadh. The Houthis did not immediately comment on Tuesday’s attacks.
Al Jazeera said an oil-company building in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, was struck overnight on Monday, a day after a Houthi attack damaged an Aramco office in Riyadh.
Saudi officials said falling debris from an attempted attack caused minor damage to the Aramco Tower in Riyadh.
The October 26 vote empowers President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to support Saudi defence on request. He says any military action would protect Saudi territory and borders, not strike Yemen.
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The coalition says it attacked a Houthi missile depot and that Saudi air defences intercepted a missile headed for Riyadh; the Houthis claim strikes on Saudi oil facilities and targets in Yemen.
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The reported interceptions coincide with an announced airport reopening, while the UN warns that time is running out to deliver aid to 800,000 people trapped in Taiz.
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Added reports of a strike on an oil-company building in Sanaa and an earlier Houthi attack on an Aramco office in Riyadh.
