Saudi-led coalition downs Houthi missiles over Riyadh after pipeline attack
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two missiles fired towards Riyadh and a third aimed at the south on Tuesday. It came a day after the East-West oil pipeline was attacked.
- Coalition says a ballistic and a cruise missile were destroyed over Riyadh, and a second ballistic missile over the south
- The East-West pipeline in the Medina region was attacked on Monday; a limited fire was put out
- Riyadh schools return to online classes from Tuesday
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday it had intercepted two missiles fired towards Riyadh and another aimed at the south of the kingdom. Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for the attacks.
Al-Maliki said a ballistic missile and a cruise missile were intercepted and destroyed over Riyadh, while a second ballistic missile was shot down over the southern part of the country. The coalition also said, according to the Saudi Press Agency, that a drone was destroyed in the Eastern Province.
AFP reported multiple explosions in Riyadh. Residents received text-message alerts telling them to take shelter because of an aerial threat, and a later message from Saudi civil defence said the danger had passed. The Houthis gave no immediate comment on Tuesday's attacks.
On Monday, the East-West oil pipeline in the Medina region was attacked again, causing a limited fire that was extinguished. A Saudi Energy Ministry official said pipeline operations were unaffected and that no injuries or deaths were reported.
The Houthis said on Sunday they had attacked Riyadh's business district. Saudi officials said falling debris from an attempted attack caused minor damage to the Aramco Tower. Images from the Saudi Press Agency showed the deputy governor of the Riyadh region and other officials inspecting the building, with damage visible on several floors.
According to a message to parents seen by AFP, schools in Riyadh will return to online classes from Tuesday. The message did not say how long the measure would last.
Separately, Houthi health authorities said the death toll from Saturday's airstrikes on the village of al-Shariya, east of Sanaa, had risen to 44, most of them women and children. Houthi-run Health Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said 40 others were wounded.
On the wider US-Israel-Iran war, US President Donald Trump said on Monday there was momentum toward ending it, and that it was "militarily, is effectively over", while leaving open the possibility of new strikes.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 8 November that the Saudi-led coalition said it had downed two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh, after Civil Defence issued early warnings in Riyadh and parts of the Eastern Province. On 6 November, we reported that a seafarer died after a suspected missile hit the tanker MT Velos Sapphire in the Gulf.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Many Pakistanis work in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf, so attacks on Riyadh and on energy infrastructure are closely followed by their families at home. Riyadh schools have moved back online, which affects families living in the city. The reports say pipeline operations were unaffected and no injuries were reported from the latest incidents. Fuel prices in Pakistan are also sensitive to Gulf energy developments: khabr.pk recorded petrol at Rs346 per litre on 7 November.
