Saudi air defences intercept three Houthi cruise missiles launched toward Riyadh

DUBAI: Saudi air defences intercepted Houthi missiles launched toward the Riyadh region for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, according to the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Yemeni group.

The coalition said the Houthis launched three cruise missiles that were destroyed.

The group, which controls most of the populous parts of Yemen, has intensified attacks on the Saudi capital in recent days. A Houthi attack on Sunday damaged an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh’s financial hub.

On Tuesday, Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile and a cruise missile launched towards Riyadh, the coalition said.

Last month, a Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

Renewed fighting between the two sides has intensified since September, when the Houthis advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping chokepoint at the ​southern entrance to the Red Sea.

The Houthis have since stepped up strikes on ⁠Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has ramped up airstrikes on Houthi targets ​in Yemen in response.