Saudi Arabia intercepts ‘hostile air target’ going toward Riyadh

Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted an apparent missile or drone strike over Riyadh, after a blast was heard in the Saudi capital on Saturday morning.

The so-called Saudi-led coalition, which initiated an ongoing war against Yemen in 2015, said it “intercepted and destroyed a hostile air target going towards Riyadh,” Al Jazeera reported, citing state-run Al Ekhbariya television station.

A number of flights were also delayed on the same day, Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport said, without elaborating.

The government in Sanaa, which is under the control of the Ansarullah Movement, has repeatedly carried out attacks deep in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the kingdom’s bloody military campaign against Yemen.

Houthis deny involvement

However, later in the day, the Yemeni Army said it did not carry any attack against the “aggressive countries” in the past 24 hours.

Yemen’s Army Spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said his country reserves the “natural and legitimate right” to respond to the aggressive countries as long as they continue their aggression and siege against Yemen.

Saree also said the Yemeni armed forces announce any operation they carry out against the Saudi-led coalition with “pride and honor”.

The Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen was launched in hopes of reinstalling Yemen’s former pro-Riyadh government. Six years on, the war has martyred tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians, including women and children.

Last week, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah warned Saudi Arabia that it cannot expect to stay safe from retaliation.

“Those, who mobilize their militants towards Yemen with the goal of causing death and destroying its cities and villages, cannot expect us to respond by waving at them and sending them flowers and peace doves,” Abdullah said.

ME