Explosions rock Riyadh after Saudi intercepts Houthi missile

RIYADH, Nov 10: 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.

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.

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has faced near-daily Houthi strikes since early October, including deadly attacks that closed Riyadh airport for two weeks.

A truce in Yemen's long-running war, where the Saudi coalition is fighting on behalf of the internationally recognised government, unravelled in July, opening up a new front in the broader Middle East conflict.

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.

The Houthi attacks are casting a shadow over attempts to overhaul the oil-reliant Saudi economy by attracting foreign investment and encouraging tourism and leisure spending.

Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is one of the most visible manifestations of the drive, with towering glass skyscrapers, high-end retail outlets and green spaces dotting the area.

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".�"AFP