Houthi missile destroyed in mid-air over Riyadh after multiple blasts heard

Several loud explosions were heard in succession in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led military coalition confirmed that a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels was destroyed mid-air with the help of the air defence system.

Representatives of the international news agency AFP stationed in Riyadh heard the intense blasts on Tuesday (10 November). At the time, fearing a possible air attack, the authorities sent emergency messages to residents' mobile phones, instructing them to move immediately to safe shelter.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the Saudi-led joint military coalition said the missile fired by the Houthis had been successfully identified and destroyed in the air.

The country's civil defence department later said in a message that the situation had ended quickly and ordinary citizens were safe.

The coalition had also said on Monday night that a separate ballistic missile fired towards the country's southern border had been destroyed in the same way.

Since a long-standing ceasefire broke down last July, attacks by the Houthis on Saudi territory have been taking place almost every day.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Houthi rebels claimed to have struck an important commercial area of Riyadh. According to eyewitnesses, a building belonging to the Saudi state oil company Aramco was damaged in that incident.

According to the Saudi authorities, however, the attack had been thwarted by the air defence system, and debris from the projectile falling on the building caused minor damage to parts of the structure.

Photographs published by the official Saudi Press Agency show the deputy governor of the Riyadh region and other responsible officials inspecting the different floors of the damaged building on the spot.