Saudi Arabia's military coalition in Yemen said on Tuesday that it had downed projectiles launched by the Houthi movement at several cities in the kingdom, even as hostilities between the two sides grew sharper. According to the coalition, it stopped a ballistic missile and a cruise missile bound for Riyadh, a ballistic missile aimed at the south, and a drone flying over the oil-rich east. The Houthis, a Yemeni armed group, said Saudi aircraft had struck the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
Interceptions, strikes and damage
Civil defence authorities issued alerts in Riyadh and in the southern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, and later said the danger had passed. AFP journalists heard blasts in the early hours, and residents in the capital received a phone message telling them to take cover from an "aerial threat." The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claimed the group had hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an oil facility at Abqaiq in the east. Saudi Arabia had not responded to those claims immediately.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that Saudi strikes had hit a petrol station in the Jadar district north of Sanaa and a building of the state oil company in the south of the city. These are Houthi accounts, and Saudi authorities had not confirmed them at the time of reporting.
Pipeline, Aramco Tower and schools
The Houthis also said they had attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline in Riyadh province, and they rejected a Saudi claim that the line in the Madina region had been their target. Saudi state media had reported on Monday that an attack in Madina province started a limited fire without disrupting operations. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday showed officials examining the Aramco Tower in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, where several floors were visibly damaged.
The tower was struck by the Houthis two days before the latest attacks. The financial district is one of the most visible parts of Saudi Arabia's effort to move its oil-reliant economy toward foreign investment, tourism and leisure spending, and the Houthi attacks have clouded that push. Riyadh leads the coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognised government, which the Houthis drove out of Sanaa more than a decade ago.
Riyadh's schoolchildren, who had spent two days back in classrooms, returned to online learning on Tuesday as a precaution, according to a message sent to parents on Monday evening. It is not yet clear from the reporting whether the exchanges will continue, since the coalition and the Houthis have given sharply different accounts.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Two days before the latest attacks: the Houthis struck the Aramco skyscraper in Riyadh's financial district.
- Monday: Saudi state media reported that an attack on the pipeline in Madina province caused a limited fire without affecting operations.
- Monday evening: parents of Riyadh schoolchildren were told that classes would move online.
- Tuesday: the coalition said it intercepted missiles and a drone; the Houthis claimed strikes on Riyadh airport and Abqaiq; Saba reported Saudi strikes on Sanaa; Saudi Press Agency images showed damage to the Aramco Tower.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Saudi Arabia ke ittehad ne kaha hai ke us ne Houthi missiles aur drone ko Riyadh aur dusre shehron ki taraf aate hue rok liya. Houthiyon ne Riyadh ke hawai adde aur Abqaiq ke tel ke kaam par hamla karne ka daava kiya, jabki Sanaa mein Saudi hamlon ki khabar bhi aayi hai. Riyadh mein schools dobara online ho gaye hain. Pakistan ke liye is ka matlab hai ke tel ki qeematon aur Gulf mein kaam ke mauqon par nazar rakhni hogi.
