RIYADH — Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen claimed responsibility for drone and ballistic missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, including its capital Riyadh and energy sites along the Red Sea coast.
Saudi authorities confirmed intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh on Saturday. No further strikes or casualties were confirmed by Saudi officials.
Earlier on Saturday, black smoke rose from fuel tanks near Riyadh's international airport, leading to temporary disruptions in flight operations. Air raid alerts sounded across the capital, marking the first such instance since the Houthis escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia in July.
Yahya al-Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, said a large number of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones were used in the offensive. He identified sensitive sites in Riyadh and facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco in Yanbu as targets.
Al-Sarea characterized the attacks as a response to what he called Saudi Arabia's "criminal attempts" to target Sanaa, the Yemeni capital currently under Houthi control. He had previously accused Saudi Arabia of conducting 300 strikes across Yemen in the past week.
The Saudi-led coalition's official spokesperson announced that air defenses successfully stopped hostile attempts to target civilians in the Saudi cities of Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.
An AFP journalist reported seeing firefighters working to extinguish flames from a burnt-out Aramco fuel tank. Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported delays and cancellations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The United States State Department urged Americans in the Middle East to practice vigilance and prepare for potential flight cancellations and other travel disruptions. The department said the military conflict between Iranian-supported Houthis and Saudi Arabia carries the potential for rapid escalation.
The State Department also advised Americans to seriously reconsider travel to and through the region. The escalation follows previous Houthi attacks on targets inside Saudi Arabia in recent months, including a claim this week of downing a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen.
The Houthis are engaged in a civil war against Yemen's internationally recognized government, which receives backing from Saudi Arabia. The conflict has led to significant displacement within Yemen.
On Friday, the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations body, reported that the number of people displaced by recent fighting had surpassed 104,796.
An unconfirmed report from AFP, citing military sources from both sides of the Yemeni civil war, indicated that fighting on Saturday resulted in 48 fatalities. Houthi sources reported 31 of their fighters were killed, while government sources stated a loss of 17 soldiers.
