Cairo: Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile.
The statement late Saturday by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis came long after the morning attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted.
It was the first attack targeting Riyadh since the escalation in fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudis.
The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu and in Taif, Baysh and Farasan but they were thwarted, giving no further details.
The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, they had targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing “massive fires”.
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Aramco, the world's largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment.
The growing conflict near another important global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested Turkey could provide military support to Saudi Arabia under a recently signed defence pact.
Asked in a TV interview about the possibility of the three-member alliance, which also includes Pakistan, engaging in military action against Yemen's Houthis, Fidan said Turkiye would “face no difficulty in meeting” any military needs.
“We observe very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he told broadcaster NTV. “We have an alliance agreement in place and we stand by our word.”
