What happened
Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels at Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The missile was destroyed, and no casualties were reported. However, a blaze was extinguished at a fuel tank depot near King Khalid International Airport.
The Houthi rebels also attempted to strike civilian infrastructure in Yanbu, Taif, Baysh, and Farasan, but these attempts were thwarted. The attack is the latest escalation in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi group.
The conflict has displaced around 125,000 people, according to the United Nations. Saudi Arabia has reported an increase in strikes on the kingdom, including a Sept. 8 barrage that wounded 73 people and set oil facilities on fire.
Saudi Arabia is facing a shortage of interceptor missiles and has requested air defense assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt. The United States, Saudi Arabia's principal arms supplier, has limited its response to intelligence-sharing due to its own depleted resources from a six-month war with Iran.
