By Mahmut Geldi / Safvan Allahverdi
ADDS U.S. REACTION
RIYADH / WASHINGTON (AA) – Saudi air defenses have intercepted a “ballistic missile” fired by Houthi rebels from neighboring Yemen, Saudi media reported Wednesday.
According to Saudi television channel Al-Ekhbariya, the missile was fired toward the capital Riyadh but was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defense systems.
The Saudi government has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
In recent months, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have fired a number of missiles into Saudi territory, some of which have caused material damage.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert released a written statement condemning the attack.
“The United States strongly condemns today’s Houthi missile attack on Riyadh, ” she said.
“We support the right of our Saudi partners to defend their borders against these threats, which are fueled by the Iranian regime’s dangerous proliferation of weapons and destabilizing activities in the region. ”
Urging all parties to return to negotiations and put more effort into ending the war in Yemen, Nauert said the Houthis’ attacks on Saudi cities cast doubt on their commitment to a better future for Yemen.
Yemen has been wracked by conflict since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.
Riyadh has repeatedly accused the Houthis of acting as a proxy force for Shia Iran, Saudi Arabia’s arch-foe in the region.
