Saudi claims Houthis fired ballistic missile at Riyadh

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis has claimed that the group fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh at dawn before it was intercepted and destroyed, after residents reported blasts in the Saudi capital.

"The Houthis also attempted to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in Bisha, Taif, Farasan, and Yanbu," a coalition spokesperson wrote on X, adding that the attacks "were thwarted by the Gulf monarchy's air defences".

Black smoke and flames rose near Riyadh's international airport, as the Houthis announced they had carried out strikes on targets in the Saudi capital and coastal oil facilities.

Firefighters extinguished a blaze on a fuel tank with the logo of the Saudi oil giant Aramco at a fuel depot near the airport, an AFP journalist saw.

Footage shared online showed a column of black smoke above airport buildings.