Riyadh, Dec. 20 (TNS): Saudi Arabia said it shot down a ballistic missile Tuesday over Riyadh fired from Yemen by Houthi rebels who announced that the target was the official residence of King Salman.
Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying weapons to the insurgents, and Riyadh described the latest missile as “Iranian-Houthi”.
An AFP correspondent in Riyadh heard a loud explosion at 1050 GMT, shortly before the scheduled unveiling of the Saudi budget, which is usually announced by the king from the Yamamah palace, his official residence.
“The missile was aimed at populated residential areas in the Riyadh area, and – thank God – was intercepted and destroyed south of Riyadh without any casualties,” the official Saudi Press Agency quoted a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition against the Huthis as saying.
“The possession of Iranian-manufactured ballistic weapons by terrorist organisations, including the Iran-backed Houthi militia, is a threat to regional and international security,” Turki al-Maliki added.
It was the second missile fired by the Houthis – who seized the Yemeni capital in 2014 – at Riyadh in the past two months.
“Missile force announces the launch of a Burkan (Volcano) H-2 missile against the Yamamah Palace in Riyadh,” the rebels´ official news outlet Al-Masirah tweeted.
The attacks, which could further escalate a military campaign by a Saudi-led coalition against the rebels, underscore how the raging Yemen conflict is increasingly spilling across the border.
The first attack targeted Riyadh international airport on November 4, and triggered the tightening of a long-standing Saudi-led blockade of Yemen — already on the verge of famine.
