Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that it had intercepted an apparent missile or drone attack on its capital, Riyadh, amid the kingdom’s years-long war against neighboring Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Social media users posted a video of what appeared to be an explosion in the air over Riyadh. Saudi state TV quoted kingdom officials as acknowledging the interception.
The Houthis did not immediately recognize the launch of a missile or drone towards Riyadh. The United States Embassy in Riyadh has issued an alert to Americans, asking them to “be alert in case of future additional attacks”.
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The Houthis have controlled the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, since September 2014. Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war against them in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The war has been plunged into an impasse for years. Riyadh was the target of sporadic missile attacks at that time, while the Houthis also launched missile and drone attacks.
Western experts, Saudi Arabia and the United States say Iran has supplied weapons, including ballistic missiles to the Houthis. Iran denies this, although weapons devices call back to Tehran.