Saudi Arabia downs missiles fired at Riyadh after Houthi attack on pipeline

Saudi forces intercept two missiles fired towards Riyadh, hours after reporting damage to key East-West pipeline.

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis has announced it intercepted two missiles fired towards the kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, and another aimed at its southern region.

Major-General Turki al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the coalition, blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for Tuesday’s attacks.

In a series of posts on X, he said a ballistic missile and a cruise missile were intercepted and destroyed over Riyadh, while a second ballistic missile was downed over the southern part of the country.

Multiple explosions were heard in Riyadh, according to the AFP news agency, and residents received text-message alerts instructing them to take shelter due to an “aerial threat”.

A subsequent message from the country’s civil defence agency said the danger had passed.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

The strikes were the latest in a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia as fighting rages in Yemen between the Houthis and the country’s internationally recognised government, backed by Riyadh.

The coalition has supported a Yemeni government offensive to retake territory with air strikes, while the Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi oil infrastructure, including refineries and storage facilities, with drones and missiles.

On Monday, the East-West oil pipeline in the Medina region was attacked again. A Saudi Energy Ministry official told the state-run SPA news agency the strike caused a “limited fire” that was extinguished. The official said that “pipeline operations were unaffected”.

No injuries or deaths were reported.

The pipeline is a vital route for Saudi oil exports due to Tehran’s restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel war against Iran. The pipeline has come under attack several times as the war on Iran fuels a global energy crisis.

On Sunday, the Houthis also said they attacked Riyadh’s business district.

Saudi officials said falling debris from an “attempted attack” had caused minor damage to the Aramco Tower.

Images released by the SPA showed the deputy governor of the Riyadh region and other officials inspecting the building, with damage visible on several floors.