Saudi intercepts Yemen missile

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a missile yesdterday over Riyadh fired by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen who announced that the target was the official residence of King Salman, reports AFP. Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying weapons to the insurgents, and Riyadh described the latest missile as “Iranian-Huthi”. An AFP correspondent 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. “Coalition forces confirm intercepting an Iranian-Huthi missile,” the Center for International Communication, an arm of the Saudi information ministry, said on Twitter.

“There are no reported casualties at this time,” it added. It was the second missile fired by the Huthis—who seized the Yemeni capital in 2014 -- at Riyadh in the past two months. 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, which targeted Riyadh international airport on November 4, triggered the tightening of a long-standing Saudi-led blockade of Yemen—already on the verge of famine.

Saudi intercepts Yemen missile

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a missile yesdterday over Riyadh fired by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen who announced that the target was the official residence of King Salman, reports AFP. Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying weapons to the insurgents, and Riyadh described the latest missile as Iranian-Huthi. An AFP correspondent 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. Coalition forces confirm intercepting an Iranian-Huthi missile, the Center for International Communication, an arm of the Saudi information ministry, said on Twitter. There are no reported casualties at this time, it added. It was the second missile fired by the Huthiswho seized the Yemeni capital in 2014 -- at Riyadh in the past two months. 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, which targeted Riyadh international airport on November 4, triggered the tightening of a long-standing Saudi-led blockade of Yemenalready on the verge of famine.