Saudis: Houthis Tried to Strike Capital With Ballistic Missile

Saudi Arabia on Saturday confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile, the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels. The statement by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis was issued long after the morning attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted, the AP reports. It also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu and in Taif, Baysh, and Farasan but they were thwarted, giving no further details. Emergency alerts were set off in the capital, per the New York Times, and residents reported loud blasts.

The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, they had targeted "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing "massive fires." The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis is the latest front to erupt as a result of the Iran war. The growing conflict near another important global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets. On Thursday, the first civilian casualty was reported as the Saudi civil defense said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia. Regional officials have told the AP that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt for air defense support.