Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Ballistic Missile Targeting Riyadh, Coalition Says

Saudi intercepts, Yemen escalates

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the “terrorist Houthi militia” against Riyadh, and it also said two other missiles targeted the city of Jamis Mushait, according to the alliance spokesman Turki al-Maliki. General Yahya Saree, speaking for the Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman via Telegram, said that “Over the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes carried out 119 airstrikes and missile attacks” targeting civilian sites in Sana’a and multiple governorates including Al-Jawf, Taiz, Saada, Marib, Lahj, Al-Bayda, and Ibb. General Saree added that the attacks brought the total number of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks against the country since the escalation began to 2,177.

The coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh was intercepted and destroyed, as residents reported powerful explosions in Riyadh on Monday night after an official alert told residents to take shelter in a safe place. The Houthis, backed by Iran, denounced the deaths of at least nine civilians, including five children and a woman, in Saudi airstrikes against the province of Al Ya’fu in northern Yemen.

Reporting for this sectionDWAl-Manar

Airports shut, airlines cancel

The Houthis attacked Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, and the airport announced a temporary closure until next Saturday after at least seventeen people were killed and around three hundred were injured in attacks from Friday to Sunday, according to the DW account. The DW report said Lufthansa Group canceled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France–KLM extended the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh through the end of the month. The EFE report said the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to complete procedures to verify the safety of the facilities.

The EFE report also said a Pakistani resident died and 11 other people were injured in the attack on King Khalid International Airport, and it said the agency detailed that the attack caused material damage still being assessed. The Al Jazeera account said Turki Al-Maliki told residents that the Houthis fired one ballistic missile at Riyadh and two towards Khamis Mushait, and that all three were “intercepted and destroyed”.

Reporting for this sectionDWEFE

Diplomacy offers, retaliation threats

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday evening that Iran “stands ready to help initiate talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen,” during a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister الأمير فيصل بن فرحان آل سعود, according to the Al-Jazeera Net account.

The Al-Jazeera Net account said the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia urged U.S. government employees to obtain a special permit to use King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and also urged American citizens to be mindful of possible flight cancellations and the closure of the Saudi airspace.

The Al-Jazeera Net account also said Reuters reported that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. airlines to exercise caution when operating flights to Saudi Arabia or flying in its airspace, warning of safety risks arising from ongoing military activities.

The Al-Manar TV Lebanon account said General Yahya Saree announced that Saudi attacks targeted civilian sites, while the DW report said the Houthis warned they would respond quickly and painfully if the United States intervenes in Yemen’s internal conflict.

The DW report quoted Donald Trump telling reporters in Washington that “The Houthis are acting very badly. They’re acting very badly. Not good,” after he said he spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Reporting for this sectionAl-Jazeera NetDW