RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said it shot down a ballistic missile on Tuesday over Riyadh fired from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels who announced that the target was the official residence of King Salman.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying weapons to the insurgents, and Riyadh described the latest missile as “Iranian-Houthi”.

A loud explosion was heard in Riyadh at 1050 GMT, shortly before the scheduled unveiling of the Saudi budget, which is usually announced by the king from the Yamamah palace, his official residence.

“The missile was aimed at populated residential areas in the Riyadh area, and — thank God — was intercepted and destroyed south of Riyadh without any casualties,” the official Saudi Press Agency quoted a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis as saying.

“The possession of Iranian-manufactured ballistic weapons by terrorist organisations, including the Iran-backed Houthi militia, is a threat to regional and international security,” Turki al-Maliki added.

It was the second missile fired by the Houthis — who seized the Yemeni capital in 2014 — at Riyadh in the past two months.

“Missile force announces the launch of a Burkan (Volcano) H-2 missile against the Yamamah Palace in Riyadh,” the rebels’ official news outlet Al-Masirah tweeted.

The first attack targeted Riyadh international airport on Nov 4, and triggered the tightening of a long-standing Saudi-led blockade of Yemen, already on the verge of famine.

Residents in the Saudi capital reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing smoke after Tuesday’s attack.

“I was in my office when I heard a big bang,” said Tomas Kompikan, one of the many foreign workers in Riyadh. “Suddenly after around 30 to 45 seconds I heard a next sound... and we saw a white smoke.”

The Houthi rebels last month warned that they considered “airports, ports, border crossings and areas of any importance” in Saudi Arabia, as well as its ally the United Arab Emirates, as legitimate targets.

More than 8,750 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government’s fight against the Houthis in 2015.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2017