7 missiles intercepted by Saudi Arabia missiles aimed at the capital

A missile launch by Houthi rebels. AP photo.

Three of the seven missiles were launched at the capital and four more at southern cities including Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait. Witnesses in Riyadh heard several explosions and saw smoke. One said he saw a long flash of light followed by several explosions in the night. After the attack, debris from the missile fell on a house in Riyadh, killing one Egyptian and injuring two.

According to the Houthi rebels, the group launched a Burkan H2 missile targeting the “King Khaled” international airport, 35 km north of the capital Riyadh. Several other missiles hit airports in Jizan, Najran and Abha, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia.

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

The Houthi rebels may have acquired R-27T and R-73E missiles when they overran Saudi bases in November last year in retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s embargo on Yemen. A month later, the rebels targeted the Yamamah royal palace, but that missile was also intercepted.

The Houthi rebels staged a coup in 2014, taking control of Yemen's capital and parliament. Since March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen, aiming to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who lives in exile. In response, the Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia and destroyed much of its military hardware in Yemen. Since then, 10,000 people have been killed and 50,000 injured. The United Nations has called the war in Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis due to the scale of the damage and the severity of the situation.