Houthis fire two ballistic missiles at Riyadh, and Saudi air defenses destroy both

Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen fired two ballistic missiles at the Saudi capital early Sunday. Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed both, according to coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Civil Defense issued an early-warning alert for Riyadh and Najran just before the interceptions and lifted it soon after, saying the danger had passed. Reuters, citing a witness, reported several loud booms over the capital. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

It was the second Houthi ballistic missile attack on the kingdom in a matter of hours, after Saudi defenses shot down a missile aimed at the oil-rich Eastern Province late Saturday. Earlier Saturday, the coalition said it destroyed a cruise missile launched toward the Riyadh region.

Arab News counts at least 15 Houthi ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones intercepted over Saudi Arabia since the start of November, aimed at Riyadh, Najran, Madinah, Makkah and the Eastern Province. The coalition says it has struck the resources the Houthis use to keep their missile and drone programs running.

Update, early Sunday: Reuters later reported that a tower in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District was damaged by a projectile on Sunday, citing a witness and three people briefed on the matter. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment, and Reuters did not identify the projectile's origin. The Saudi-led coalition said both ballistic missiles were intercepted and destroyed.