First Fatality On Saudi Soil As Houthis Target Capital Riyadh

The Yemen conflict claimed its first victim on Saudi soil yesterday (25 March) even as seven missiles fired towards Saudi Arabia from Yemen were intercepted by air defences.

An Egyptian man was killed and two others wounded when the missile debris fell on a home in Riyadh, Reuters has reported.

A Saudi-led coalition is embroiled in a military conflict in Yemen, which routinely sees missiles being fired towards the country from Yemen reportedly by Houthi rebels, who’re backed by Iran in the conflict.

Saudi Arabia responds to the missiles by bombing Houthi bases in return, however, the Houthis are stepping up efforts to demonstrate that they can target the Saudi capital. Houthi-run SABA news agency confirmed that the Houthis had fired the missiles towards King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a Burkan H2 missile.

The other missiles were fired towards airports in Jizan, Najran and Abha as claimed by SABA. The United States, which backs Saudi Arabia in the conflict has condemned the attacks.

The conflict has been going on for almost three years now and has left to 10,000 dead and more than 2 million displaced in Yemen.