Several explosions reverberated in the sky of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday evening, while the Saudi Al-Ikhbariya channel announced that it had intercepted a ballistic attack launched by the Houthi group.
The government Al-Ekhbariya channel quoted the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen as saying that a "ballistic attack by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh had been destroyed."
The French Press Agency reported that its correspondents and residents of the Saudi capital heard a number of explosions.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, which is at a time when Saudi Arabia is hosting the Formula E World Championship at the Deraia circuit.
The Saudi-Emirati coalition also confirmed that it had "monitored the launch of a number of booby-trapped drones by the terrorist Houthi militia," referring to the "interception and destruction of an explosive drone launched by the militia towards Jizan."
Saudi media reported that about 4 drones launched by the Houthis were intercepted and destroyed towards Khamis Mushait.
Video |
The coalition's destruction of a ballistic attack by the Houthi militia towards # Riyadh # Al-Akhbariya pic.twitter.com/NTemo6TJmi
- News Channel (@alekhbariyatv) February 27, 2021
The Saudi Press Agency stated that one of the drones launched towards the city of Jizan was intercepted and destroyed.
And state television quoted the coalition as saying that it destroyed another plane that was heading towards the city of Khamis Mushait, in the south of the Kingdom.
Several areas in Saudi Arabia are exposed to ballistic missiles and explosive drones launched from Yemen at its airports and oil installations.
#Video ... # The coalition intercepts and destroys a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards # Riyadh. # Al-Madina newspaper pic.twitter.com/ItrzsbZCsX
- Al-Madina newspaper (@Almadinanews) February 27, 2021
The Houthis stepped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia after the United States removed them from the list of terrorism, a step taken by the Donald Trump administration, which humanitarian organizations have warned, saying it harms the provision of necessary aid to the country mired in war.
The Biden administration announced the end of US support for the offensive operations led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen since 2015, while Biden stressed that the war in Yemen is a "war that has caused a humanitarian and strategic disaster," stressing that "this war must end."