Saudi civil defence sends all-clear after alerts issued for capital Riyadh

RIYADH: 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 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’ 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.

One killed as Saudi Arabia intercepts drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis

The Houthis, 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”.