Saudi forces have intercepted ballistic missiles over the capital Riyadh and sourthern city of Jazan on Saturday, according to state media reports.
Riyadh residents heard several explosions and emergency vehicle sirens, before details of the missiles were released by state media.
At least two civilians were reportedly wounded in Riyadh by the missiles. State-owned media said that both missiles were destroyed. The source of the missiles is yet to be identified, with no immediate claim of responsibility.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have previously launched numerous missiles over the border into Saudi Arabia. The last attempted strike on Riyadh was in 2018.
The news of the ballistic missile assaults appeared to dampen hopes of a ceasefire in Yemen’s long-standing conflict, which involves Iran-backed rebels and Saudi-backed government forces.
A spokesman with the Saudi-led coalition said that a missile strike at this time showed the “real threat the Houthi group and Iranian regime supporting it posed”. He added that the move did not reflect their support of a ceasefire.
This week, rebel forces, the government of Yemen, and Saudi Arabia welcomed the United Nations’ call for a ceasefire to deal with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The virus is yet to hit Yemen, but could be catastrophic for the country, which is already facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and struggles with a broken healthcare system.
