Saudi Arabia thwarts Houthi missile attack on Riyadh: state news

The Iran-backed Houthis have escalated attacks on the kingdom, while they step up an offensive to seize the Saudi-backed Yemeni government's last northern stronghold of Marib. 

The Saudi-led military coalition thwarted a "Houthis ballistic missile attack" targeting Riyadh, the state-run Ekhbariya television said, without specifying the number of missiles intercepted.

AFP correspondents and residents of the Saudi capital reported hearing multiple loud explosions. The night sky lit up with a bright flash following the interception of a missile, state television footage showed.

Separately, the coalition said it intercepted four Houthis drones targeting the kingdom's southern region - two on the garrison city of Khamis Mushait, and one each on Jizan city and another unspecified location.

The rebels did not immediately claim responsibility for any of the attacks. They frequently strike the kingdom's southern regions and have previously targeted Riyadh with missiles and drones.

The assaults come as Saudi Arabia hosts a Formula E championship on the outskirts of Riyadh, which state media said was attended by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Houthiss have escalated cross-border attacks on the kingdom even after the United States moved to delist the rebels as terrorists and stepped up efforts to de-escalate the six-year conflict.

The designation, imposed by the previous US administration of Donald Trump, had been widely criticised by aid organisations, who warned it would hamper their efforts to alleviate a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

US President Joe Biden halted support to Saudi offensive operations in Yemen's war, which he called a "catastrophe" that "has to end". But he also reiterated US support for Saudi Arabia in defending its territory.

Alongside the cross-border attacks, the Houthis are pressing ahead with a deadly offensive to seize the Yemeni government stronghold of Marib, where some of the country's richest oil fields are found.

Read also: Washington mulls suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia: report

Years of bombings have failed to shake the rebels' hold on the capital Sanaa, and they have steadily expanded their reach in the country's north.

Yemen's grinding conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives and displaced millions, according to international organisations, sparking what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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