Explosions and alert in the Saudi capital
Loud explosions were heard in Riyadh on Saturday, according to AFP journalists on the ground, after Saudi authorities issued an air alert. It was the first alert of its kind in the capital since combat intensified in neighboring Yemen. A message sent to residents' phones shortly before 03:00 local time (00:00 GMT) warned that the area was under a hostile aerial threat and instructed people to remain in their homes. AFP journalists later heard two blasts, and the alert was lifted roughly half an hour afterward by Saudi Civil Defense.[S1]
Houthi attacks and the Yemen war backdrop
Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly attacked in recent days by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of neighboring Yemen and have just achieved a considerable advance against the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Riyadh-led coalition. The alert in Riyadh itself was the first since fighting intensified in recent weeks. The war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and then other regions, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015. A fragile truce reached in 2022 between the warring sides broke down in July, when the Iran-aligned fighters challenged Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace by allowing an Iranian plane to land in Yemen.[S1]
Displacement and humanitarian toll
At least 112,000 people have been displaced in Yemen and nearly 3,000 others have taken refuge in Djibouti since fighting resumed in early September in the country, the poorest on the Arabian Peninsula, according to the latest UN figures.[S1]
