Saudis intercept 7 Yemen missiles

RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi forces intercepted seven Yemeni rebel missiles on Sunday, including over the capital Riyadh, in a deadly escalation on the eve of the third anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen.

One Egyptian was killed and two of his countrymen were wounded by falling shrapnel in Riyadh, authorities said, with residents reporting loud explosions and bright flashes in the sky shortly before midnight.

The Iran-aligned Huthi rebels fired three missiles at Riyadh and four others at the southern cities of Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran, with the coalition saying they all targeted populated areas.

“This aggressive and hostile action by the Iran-backed Huthi group proves that the Iranian regime continues to support the armed group with military capabilities,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said.

“The firing of multiple ballistic missiles toward cities is a serious development.”

The Huthi-run Al-Masira television channel claimed the rebels had targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport as well as other airstrips in the south of the kingdom.

The strikes come after the US defense secretary last week urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Washington to pursue “urgent efforts” to end Yemen’s wrenching conflict.

The Huthi rebels have fired dozens of missiles into Saudi Arabia since last year, all of which Saudi forces claim to have intercepted, underscoring their capacity to strike deep within the kingdom amid a stalemated war in Yemen.

The latest attack could further escalate the coalition’s military campaign.

A major attack targeting Riyadh International Airport on Nov. 4 triggered the tightening of a longstanding Saudi-led blockade of Yemen — already on the verge of famine.

Another strike on Dec. 19 targeted Riyadh’s Yamamah palace, the official residence of King Salman.

Saudi Arabia has accused its arch foe Iran of supplying the missile to the rebels, a charge Tehran strongly denied.

The Huthis expelled progovernment forces from the capital in September 2014 and went on to seize swathes of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

This prompted a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to intervene in Yemen on March 26, 2015 to help the government push back the Shiite rebels.

No Filipino was hurt in Saudi Arabia yesterday, after Yemeni rebels fired ballistic missiles toward Riyadh, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. — Pia Lee-Brago