Saudi Arabia intercepted seven missiles heading towards the capital.

A missile launch by Houthi rebels. Photo: AP.

Three of the seven missiles launched targeted the capital, and the other four targeted southern cities including Najran, Jizan, and Khamis Mushait. Witnesses in Riyadh heard several explosions and saw plumes of smoke. One person said he saw a long streak of light followed by several explosions during the night. After the attack, debris from the missiles fell on a house in Riyadh, killing one Egyptian and injuring two others.

According to Houthi rebels, the group launched Burkan H2 missiles targeting King Khaled International Airport, located 35 km north of Riyadh. Several other missiles targeted airports in Jizan, Najran, and Abha, in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led military coalition accused Iran of assisting the Houthi rebels in modifying air-to-air missiles and carrying out this attack. This is not the first time Houthi rebels have fired missiles at Saudi Arabia. Previously, the Houthis shot down a Saudi-led coalition fighter jet in Sanaa province, Yemen.

Houthi rebels may have acquired R-27T and R-73E missiles when they seized Saudi bases in November last year, in retaliation for Saudi sanctions against Yemen. A month later, the rebel forces targeted the Yamamah royal palace, but these missiles were also intercepted.

The Houthi rebel group staged a coup in 2014, seizing control of Yemen's capital and parliament. Since March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has waged a war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, aiming to restore the internationally recognized government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. In response, the Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched ballistic missiles into Saudi territory and destroyed numerous Saudi military assets in Yemen. Since then, 10,000 people have been killed and 50,000 injured. The United Nations has called the war in Yemen its worst humanitarian crisis due to the scale of damage and ferocity.