Saudi coalition, Houthis trade strikes as disruption spreads

RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthis exchanged strikes on Sunday as conflict escalated, disrupting life for Riyadh residents and Yemenis living under war conditions. The turmoil in the world's top oil exporter has expanded as the Houthis maintain their attacks, prompting Riyadh's iconic Kingdom Centre skyscraper to implement a mandatory remote working order for office tenants on Sunday.

No explicit reason was provided for this measure, but it follows a security alert and two drone interceptions near the capital following a series of Houthi assaults on Saudi targets in recent weeks.

Concurrently, the Saudi-led coalition, supporting the internationally recognized government, has conducted numerous air raids on Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen. An alleged Saudi airstrike in northern Yemen's Saada governorate on Sunday claimed at least nine lives and injured 16 others, according to the Houthis' Saba news agency.

The coalition reported on Sunday that two pilots perished when their helicopter crashed in Najran, situated near the Yemen border, while the Houthis claimed they "neutralized an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi adversary" in the same region.