Riyadh wakes to blasts as Houthis keep up missile strikes on Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Oct 24 — Saudi Arabia's coalition battling Yemen's Houthis reported intercepting a ballistic missile headed towards the capital on Saturday, according to a report by AFP. At least two explosions were heard in Riyadh early Saturday as the Houthis continued their missile strikes against the kingdom. The Saudi civil defence activated an early warning system to warn residents of a potential threat.

The coalition spokesman, Turki al-Malki, announced on social media platform X that "Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh." Additionally, a drone was intercepted in the country's Eastern Province, al-Malki stated in a previous post on Saturday. The ongoing conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition has escalated this month, with multiple attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport, which was the deadliest in years.

Iran has denied involvement in the attacks, countering Saudi Arabia's accusations. Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran flared again in July, as the two nations recently emerged from a four-year-long truce. The Yemen conflict, which reignited in the midst of the US-Iranian conflict, has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished nation.