Saudi civil defense warns of missile and drone threats after explosions in Riyadh
Two blasts were heard in Riyadh early Saturday, prompting the Saudi civil defence to activate an early-warning system after a ballistic missile and a drone were intercepted.
Early Saturday morning, two explosions were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh, causing the civil defence to activate an early-warning alert for the public. The Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen announced that it intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh and also shot down a drone over the kingdom's eastern region. The kingdom has been under near-daily attacks from the Iran-supported Houthi militia since the start of the month, with the group frequently launching drones and missiles from Yemen at Saudi airports and other sites.
A previous strike on Riyadh's international airport resulted in dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries. The conflict in Yemen, which has lasted over a decade, has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths through direct and indirect war effects, according to United Nations estimates, while the World Health Organization reports that casualty figures from areas under Houthi control remain unverified.
Why it matters
The incident shows the ongoing threat to Saudi Arabia from the Yemen conflict and highlights regional security tensions.
How this story developed
- Oct 7 Halo Trust says around 30 aid workers stranded in besieged Taiz
- Oct 13 IndiGo and Akasa Air have prolonged the cancellation of flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until October 17 because of heightened security threats in the region.
- Oct 15 Air India joins IndiGo and Akasa Air in suspending Saudi flights.
- Oct 18 Airlines have extended their flight suspensions to October 17.
- Oct 19 The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned Americans of ongoing missile and drone attacks on major airports and imposed travel restrictions on U.S. government staff.
- Oct 20 Britain announced it will defend Saudi Arabia while explicitly ruling out offensive strikes.
- Oct 21 An assault on Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia resulted in one fatality and at least eight injuries, authorities said.
- Oct 21 US removed non‑essential embassy personnel from Saudi Arabia.
- Oct 22 Relatives of diplomatic staff in other Gulf countries may also be asked to leave.
- Oct 22 Saudi aviation authorities have opened an investigation into the airport damage.
- Oct 23 The WHO warned that health facilities in Taiz are facing acute shortages of essential resources.
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