Explosions Heard In Saudi Capital, Missile Intercepted

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) AFP

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Multiple explosions rang out over the Saudi capital Riyadh early on Tuesday, as the coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it shot down a missile targeting the city, which has suffered weeks of disruptive attacks.

AFP journalists heard several blasts, as residents received a mobile-phone alert urging them to shelter from an "aerial threat". The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile.

"Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh," the coalition posted on X.

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The incident came two days after the Iran-backed Houthis struck a psychological blow by hitting a skyscraper belonging to oil giant Aramco in Riyadh's gleaming financial district.

Riyadh's schoolchildren, after two days back in the classroom, resumed online learning on Tuesday "as part of the ongoing precautionary measures", according to a message to parents on Monday evening.

On Monday, the East-West oil pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked, causing a "limited fire", but it remained operational, the Saudi Press Agency said, citing an energy ministry official.

The export route has become vital since Iran began blocking the Strait of Hormuz, gateway to the energy-rich Gulf, in response to US-Israeli strikes, sending energy markets into turmoil.

Images released by Saudi Arabia's press agency on Tuesday showed Riyadh officials inspecting the distinctively designed Aramco Tower, with visible damage to some of its floors.

Saudi authorities had earlier said the building was hit by falling shrapnel after an "attempted attack".

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