Saudi capital issues first air raid alert since renewed fighting in Yemen

Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, issued its first air raid alert since renewed fighting in Yemen, with two explosions heard over the city. The Saudi Civil Defence later declared the danger had passed. The alerts were part of an escalation in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of launching dozens of strikes on their positions in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia's Saudi-backed government said its forces killed 30 Houthi fighters and wounded over 60 in clashes in Taiz province, according to Investing.com. The conflict has raised concerns over maritime security around the Arabian Peninsula, with an international maritime coalition warning that protecting key waterways was a collective responsibility.

Thousands rallied in Sanaa in support of the Houthis and against Saudi Arabia. The European Union delegation to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman condemned Houthi attacks as "unacceptable", saying they undermined the global economy. The Houthis have seized control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, a gateway to a key shipping route used by the Gulf state to export to Asia and Europe, BBC World reported.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, The Vibes, Investing.com, BBC World, Gulf News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.