Saudi Arabia intercepts ballistic missiles over capital

According to Turki al-Malki, the spokesperson for the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition, three of the missiles were fired at Riyadh and one Egyptian civilian was killed when fragments landed in a suburb.

The rebels have periodically fired missiles into Saudi territory and Saudi forces announced Sunday night they had intercepted seven more, including over Riyadh.

The strikes come after the U.S. defence secretary last week urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Washington to pursue “urgent efforts” to end Yemen’s wrenching conflict. While the missiles failed to hit any vital target, they succeeded in enabling the Saudi government to remind everyone that the war against the Houthis and their allies was and continues to be war of necessity.Currently, the Houthis control about a quarter of Yemen – with great difficulty, even in their stronghold Saada governorate.

Other Western countries and the United Nations also suspect Iran is sharing its missile technology with the Yemeni rebels, or supplying carriers in separate parts that are then assembled on-site.

The Reuters and AFP news agencies had earlier said witnesses reported hearing several loud explosions and seeing bright flashes in the sky just before midnight.

Alarmed that a Shia group with ties to Iran had taken over parts of their southern neighbour, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Arab states intervened to restore the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and threatened to conquer the last government stronghold of Aden.

The missile launches have also escalated the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the Saudi’s alleging Iran is providing the rockets to the Houthi’s.

But it said the Saudi-led coalition – armed by the USA and Britain – may be guilty of war crimes.

Over the years more than 10,000 people have been killed and in September 2014, Yemen’s capital Sanaa was captured by the rebel group Houthis. As a result, thousands of civilians have lost their lives and millions are displaced and in dire need of humanitarian aid.

The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain said they stood behind Saudi Arabia and supported its efforts to defend itself. “Happiness will only come back to Yemen, if we invest in children, stop the brutal war and invest in education”, he said.He also said that UNICEF has been able to verify that 2,500 schools today that are no longer serving for educational purposes.

He said, “The only parties benefiting from civil wars in the [Middle East] region are Americans and Israelis, who are responsible for most of the regional conflicts”.

The poll comes as some European states, notably Germany, have curtailed ties with the Saudi-led military coalition.