Explosions heard in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia issues air defence alerts

Explosions were heard in Riyadh early Saturday as residents received air defence alerts through mobile apps. Saudi Civil Defence later said the danger had passed in Riyadh and Al-Kharj. The developments follow recent drone incidents and reported strikes in Yemen.

Riyadh: Explosions were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh early Saturday. Local residents received air defence alerts via mobile apps.

The Saudi Directorate of Civil Defence later issued a statement on X saying the danger had passed in Riyadh and Al-Kharj and urged residents to continue following its instructions and avoid gathering or filming.

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Earlier, it had warned: “An alert has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform for Emergency Cases in Al-Kharj Governorate to warn of a danger.”

Earlier on Thursday, one person was killed and two others were injured after debris from an intercepted and destroyed drone launched by the Houthi group fell in Taif, western Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Civil Defence said.

A Civil Defence spokesperson said in a statement posted on social media platform X that Civil Defence teams in Taif responded after debris from the intercepted drone fell in the city.

The incident killed a Yemeni resident and injured a Saudi woman and a Pakistani resident, who is in critical condition, the spokesperson said, adding that a number of buildings and vehicles sustained material damage, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Saudi airstrikes hit several areas in northwestern and southwestern Yemen, killing at least one person, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.

In the northwestern province of Hajjah, two airstrikes struck the city of Abs, killing one person and wounding another, according to al-Masirah. The strikes also destroyed four vehicles and damaged a house.

Further south, separate strikes targeted three telecommunications towers in Taiz province, the broadcaster reported.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the reported strikes or casualties.

On Wednesday, the Houthi group said that it had shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance drone in Yemen’s northeastern Marib province and intercepted Saudi warplanes over Yemen’s western coast.

Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Houthis before it entered the prohibited airspace of Mecca on Tuesday.