00:00I'm going to go to the next episode.
00:02I'm going to go to the next episode.
00:44Riyadh came under a Houthi ballistic missile threat early Saturday, with explosions rocking
00:50parts of the Saudi capital as air raid alerts sent residents into shelters.
00:54Saudi Arabia's civil defense issued a hostile aerial threat warning for Riyadh and nearby
01:01Al-Karj shortly before 3 a.m. local time.
01:04Residents were ordered to stay indoors, move away from windows and avoid open areas as
01:10the threat unfolded over the capital.
01:12Then came the explosions.
01:14Reuters and AFP journalists in Riyadh reported hearing two loud booms, including one heard
01:21in the Olaya area.
01:22The dramatic blasts immediately raised fears that Houthi missiles had struck deep inside
01:28the Saudi capital.
01:29But Saudi authorities have not confirmed a successful ground impact.
01:34Instead, the explosions are consistent with Saudi air defense interceptions, with the danger
01:40reportedly passing around 30 minutes after the initial warning.
01:44Still, the incident marks a major escalation.
01:47The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, has been carrying out repeated missile and drone
01:53attacks against Saudi targets as fighting intensifies across Yemen and the wider Red Sea region.
01:59And just hours before the Riyadh alerts, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said the group
02:06had thwarted what he described as Saudi criminal attempts in Sana'a and warned that there would
02:11be a response.
02:12The Houthis, however, have not confirmed a successful missile strike on Riyadh in this
02:18specific incident.
02:19The latest threat came after a series of aerial alerts across Saudi Arabia.
02:24On Friday night, warnings were issued for areas including Jeddah, Taif, Yangbu, Kamis-Mushait,
02:31Abha, and Jazin.
02:33And on Thursday, debris from an intercepted Houthi drone reportedly fell in Taif, killing
02:39one Yemeni resident and injuring a Saudi woman and a Pakistani resident.
02:43The renewed escalation follows the collapse of a period of relative calm between the Houthis
02:49and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
02:51Since the fighting intensified, Houthi forces have repeatedly launched missiles and drones
02:57towards Saudi cities, military installations, and energy infrastructure, while Saudi Arabia
03:03and its allies have carried out extensive strikes against Houthi-controlled areas.
03:07The latest warning shows that Riyadh itself is once again facing the threat of Houthi long-range
03:14attacks.
03:14For now, there are no confirmed reports of a successful missile impact, major damage, or
03:20casualties inside Riyadh from Saturday's incident.
03:23But two explosions, emergency warnings, and a rapid air defense response have put Saudi
03:30Arabia's capital directly in the spotlight.
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