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Saudi Arabia intercepts missile attack over Riyadh

Dubai - The Houthis launched six drones toward the Kingdom's southern region.

Published: Sun 28 Feb 2021, 6:29 AM

Updated: Sun 28 Feb 2021, 7:08 AM

  • By
  • AP, SPA

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it intercepted a missile attack over its capital and bomb-laden drones targeting a southern province, the latest in a series of airborne assaults it has blamed on Iran-backed rebel Houthis.

The Saudi-led Arab Coalition fighting in Yemen announced the Iran-allied Houthis had launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh and three booby-trapped drones toward the province of Jizan, with a fourth toward another southwestern city and other drones being monitored. No casualties or damage were initially reported.

The state-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV broadcast footage of what appeared to be explosions in the air over Riyadh.

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Col. Turki Al Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the Houthis were trying in “a systematic and deliberate way to target civilians.”

A civil defence spokesman, Mohammed Al Hammadi, later said scattered debris resulted in material damage to one house, though no one was hurt, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

Houthi missile and drone attacks on the Kingdom have grown commonplace, only rarely causing damage. Earlier this month the Houthis struck an empty passenger plane at Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Abha airport with a bomb-laden drone, causing it to catch fire.



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