Saudi Arabia issues second alerts for Riyadh, Al-Kharj amid Houthi attacks

Saudi civil ​defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts ‌for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by ​Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country. The alerts were the ​first for the capital since Houthis in neighbouring Yemen intensified ⁠their attacks on Saudi Arabia. A Reuters journalist heard two booms ​in Riyadh’s Olaya area. The alerts come hours after the Houthis’ military ​spokesperson said the group had foiled unspecified “criminal attempts” in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia and vowing a response. There was no immediate comment from ​the Saudi government’s media office on the Houthis’ statement. The Houthis, ​who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, ‌have ⁠been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. The Iran-aligned group, which seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast in ​a lightning advance this ​month, says ⁠the Saudi Air Force has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in recent days. The UN Security Council, in ​a statement on Friday, “condemned in the strongest terms continued ​Houthi ⁠attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including attacks impacting civilian and energy infrastructure, which have resulted in the injury of civilians, ⁠including women ​and children. ” In the statement, the Security ​Council also condemned “Houthi military escalation in Yemen”.

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