Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency says a kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh have been damaged by debris from an intercepted missile, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks targeting the Saudi capital’s airport.
Two witnesses said a Saudia aircraft at the airport sustained cracks and holes in its fuselage, while a source familiar with the incident disclosed that three aircraft were damaged.
Saudi Arabia leads a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Iran-backed Houthis, who have repeatedly targeted Riyadh since the wider Middle East conflict escalated in July.
The group has vowed to strike critical infrastructure and disrupt Saudi airspace, with the scale and frequency of attacks on the capital described as unprecedented during the eight months of intensified regional hostilities.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced three attacks on Riyadh airport on Thursday. He also said the group launched missiles at an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
The attacks came amid growing threats against Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, with the Houthis warning workers to evacuate oil facilities in the kingdom. Days earlier, the group had reportedly struck a major refinery south of the capital.
Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two missiles fired towards Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency confirmed that debris from the interception damaged a kindergarten and a medical complex. However, it did not disclose whether anyone was injured or provide further details about the extent of the damage.
Public acknowledgements by Saudi authorities of damage to civilian facilities are relatively rare, with officials issuing few statements on Houthi attacks in recent weeks.
The latest escalation follows a renewed offensive by the Houthis against Yemen’s internationally recognised government after a four-year lull. Last month, the group reportedly seized control of the country’s entire Red Sea coastline in a rapid advance.
The Houthis, whose strongholds are concentrated in northwestern Yemen among Zaidi Shia communities, have controlled the capital, Sanaa, and most of the country’s major population centres since the conflict began in 2014. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in 2015 to support the Yemeni government.
Despite an ambitious counter-offensive aimed at recovering lost territory, Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces have struggled to reverse the Houthi advance, including in areas surrounding a strategic maritime route for global energy shipments.
In Riyadh, diplomats were reportedly instructed to shelter inside their respective embassies after explosions were heard across the city on Thursday morning, according to some diplomats who spoke to newsmen
Unlike during previous attacks, residents reportedly received no text alerts warning them of the danger.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry has repeatedly warned residents against sharing unauthorised information, photographs or videos of missiles, drones and their impact, cautioning that violators could face legal consequences.
Several residents told newsmen that international schools were taking precautionary measures, with at least one school moving children into a basement for safety.
One parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said their daughter called in distress after the incident.
In Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, two people working in the business hub told newsmen that some companies were evacuating their staff as a precaution.
