Saudi Arabia intercepts ‘hostile target’ over capital

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia intercepted a "hostile target" over Riyadh on Saturday, said state media in the kingdom which has come under repeated attack from Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels since 2015.

An explosion was heard in the Saudi capital at around 11:00 am (0800 GMT), AFP correspondents reported. "I heard a loud sound and thought that something had fallen from the sky," said one resident, who lives in the Al-Sulaimaniyah district of Riyadh. "The whole house was shaking".

The Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Huthis, said it had "intercepted and destroyed a hostile air target going towards Riyadh", without elaborating, according to state-run Al Ekhbariya television station.