Saudi Arabia repels Houthi attacks on Riyadh and Khamis Mushait

Saudi Arabia has repelled a new attack by the Yemeni Houthi militia on the capital Riyadh, according to military sources.

Two drones were intercepted and destroyed by air defense.

This was announced by Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military alliance fighting alongside the government against the Houthi militia in Yemen.

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Saudi state television later reported that a total of two rockets had been intercepted.

The spokesman did not provide any information about possible damage or injuries.

His information could not initially be independently verified.

There had previously been official warnings of danger for a short time in various regions of Saudi Arabia, including for the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait.

The attack on the capital Riyadh is also likely to have symbolic meaning: the Shiite militia allied with Iran is once again signaling that it can also attack the Sunni kingdom's center of power.

As the crow flies, Riyadh is around 850 kilometers from the border with the Houthi areas in western Yemen.

Just on Thursday, the military said it intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles.

Around ten days ago, the Saudi military alliance also reported a Houthi drone attack on the holy city of Mecca for Muslims.

A Houthi representative rejected this accusation.

As the war in Yemen escalates, the militia is again increasingly shelling targets in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The Sunni kingdom is allied with the internationally recognized government in Yemen and repeatedly bombs targets of the Shiite militia.

Recently, Houthi attacks on oil facilities and an important Saudi pipeline have put the government in Riyadh under increasing pressure.

The Houthis also want to prevent Saudi oil tankers from passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in order to make it more difficult for the oil-rich kingdom to export to Asia.