Missile intercepted near airport

RIYADH:Saudi Arabia’s air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired from warring Yemen over the capital Riyadh, state news agencies reported.

The missile was brought down on Saturday near King Khaled Airport on the outskirts of the city and did not cause any casualties, said Saudi state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV.

Rocket fragments fell near the airport grounds, but air traffic carried on normally, the Saudi civil aviation authority said on its official Twitter account.

Saudi Arabia is part of a coalition carrying out bombings of the Iran-allied armed Houthi movement in Yemen, which has taken over the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country during its civil war.

Saudi Arabia, which supports the internationally-recognised Yemeni government based in Aden, has frequently intercepted missiles fired from its neighbour.

The missile was fired into Saudi territory from Yemen at 8pm local time, the spokesman of a Saudi-led military coalition said in a statement.

Saba News, which is run by the Houthi rebels, reported that the missile was a Burkan H2 and that the airport had been the target.

Saudi Arabia and its allies, which receive logistical and intelligence help from the United States, accuse the Houthis of being a proxy of Iran.