Several hours after the missile attack, the Yemeni capital, Sana, was hit by the worst barrage of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in more than a year.
About 12 strikes were heard hitting the defense ministry downtown and other targets mostly on the city outskirts. The exchange of fire took place on a day when the region was on edge over the growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Earlier, the Lebanese prime minister, Saad Hariri, resigned from a unity government that includes Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah. Speaking from Riyadh, he blamed Iran for interfering in Arab affairs. Iran and Hezbollah read the move as pressure from Saudi Arabia, Mr. Hariri’s patron, to isolate them as part of a campaign to curb Iranian influence.
The Yemeni defense ministry has claimed several times to have fired a Burqan 2 missile at Saudi Arabia, which has acknowledged at least one previous strike.
Residents and travelers in Riyadh reported a loud explosion on Saturday. The Twitter account of King Khalid International Airport issued a message saying airport operations had not been affected.
Videos from the scene showed people rushing to airport windows, smoke and what appeared to be flashes or fires on the ground.
One showed red flares rising toward the sky.
Some pro-Saudi commenters in Yemen and Saudi media suggested that the Houthis could have fired the missiles on behalf of Iran or Hezbollah.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Military analysts at IHS Jane’s have written that the Houthis’ emerging use of ballistic missiles offers some support for American, Saudi and Israeli allegations that Iran is aiding them with parts or technology, but add that it would be difficult for Iran to ship whole missiles to Yemen. Another possibility, the analysts say, is that the missiles were acquired by Yemen from North Korea before the current conflict.
In Sana, jets were heard overhead and residents reported airstrikes. Ali Hassan, a taxi driver, said that roads leading to the defense ministry downtown were closed by the police.
Newsletter Sign Up
Continue reading the main story
Thank you for subscribing.
An error has occurred. Please try again later.
You are already subscribed to this email.
“I saw smoke rising from the ministry,” he said, adding that he also saw an airstrike in another area where a weapon depot was located.
The ministry is in a densely populated area, a World Heritage site known as Bab al-Yemen, which has been targeted before. Saudi-led coalition jets could be heard over Sana. The bulk of airstrikes in retaliation reportedly targeted the outskirts of Sana.
The Houthis’ news channel, Al-Masirah, said on Twitter: “We repeatedly affirmed that capitals of aggression states won’t be spared from our ballistic missiles in retaliation for the constant targeting of innocent civilians.”
Continue reading the main story