Three explosions were heard in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Sunday, following alerts warning residents of a potential aerial threat. Saudi-led coalition forces later announced that they had intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards the city by Yemen’s Houthi group.

An AFP journalist in Riyadh reported hearing the blasts. Residents had received alerts warning of a “hostile aerial threat” and advising them to move to a safe place.

The Saudi-led coalition, which is fighting the Houthis in Yemen, said its air defence systems destroyed the missile before it could reach its target. The announcement was made in a post on X.

The incident comes amid recurring Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.

AFP inputs