Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a Yemeni rebel missile over Riyadh on Tuesday as residents reported a “loud boom” that shook buildings in the Saudi capital.
It was the second Houthi missile attack on Riyadh in the past two months.
“Ballistic missile intercepted over Riyadh,” the Coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi rebels said in a statement.
The Houthi rebels, with missiles and other weaponry supplied illegally by Iran, have claimed the attack was meant to hit the royal court at al-Yamama palace, where a meeting of Saudi leaders was underway.
Reporters based in Riyadh remarked that the sound was like a “loud boom” that shook buildings. Videos on social media show people evacuated from office and apartment buildings.
The attack happened hours before Saudi Arabia was due to announce the country’s annual budget in a news conference expected to be attended by senior ministers. It also follows a growing international call led by the United States and Saudi Arabia to punish Iran for supplying missiles used to attack Saudi Arabia.
