Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and debris fell on a neighborhood near Dammam, injuring at least two children, the kingdom said on Sunday.
Images published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency show glass and debris in a townhouse on the eastern side of the kingdom and near the headquarters of state-run oil giant Saudi Aramco. The agency said at least 14 houses were damaged in the area.
The Houthis launched three bomb-laden drones and three ballistic missiles in the attack, said military spokesman Brigadier. General Turki al-Malki said. Yemen’s Houthi rebels did not immediately acknowledge the start of the attack.
The US consulate in nearby Dhahran sent out an alert warning US citizens about the attack, which it described as targeting the area around Dhahran, Dammam and Khobar.
“Stay alert in case of additional attacks in future,” the consulate said.
Saudi Arabia is embroiled in a years-long, stalemate war against the Iranian-backed Houthis backing Yemen’s toppling government. The Saudi-led war that began in March 2015 has seen an intensification in recent months amid a Houthi effort to capture the city of Marib. It has also seen a renewal of long-range attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, a bomb-laden drone crashed at the state’s Abha airport, injuring eight people and damaging a civilian aircraft.
Air strikes and ground fighting in Yemen have killed more than 130,000 people and created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
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