Saudi Arabia Military Intercepts Seven Missiles Fired From Yemen, Debris Lands In Suburbs And Kills Resident
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has had a few close calls in the past when Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Defense Ministry fired missiles on specific targets around the city. All of the projectiles were fortunately intercepted and destroyed before they had the chance to reach their targets. However, the latest attack has reportedly claimed the life of one resident after the debris from a destroyed missile landed near a residential area.
According to a report from CNN, seven long-range Burqan 2H ballistic missiles were detected by Saudi Arabia’s air force on Sunday. All of the missiles were intercepted and destroyed. However, debris from one of the destroyed missiles had reportedly hit a residential neighborhood along the southern border, instantly killing an Egyptian resident. Witnesses of the attack posted several videos on YouTube, which included footage of explosions in the night sky. One resident uploaded a video that showed missile debris landing on the highway.
Among the numerous missile strikes from Yemen, this is the first time that a fatality has occurred on Saudi Arabian soil. As reported by Aljazeera, three missiles were targeting the capital city of Riyadh. Two were on their way to the city of Jiran, one was targeting city of Khamis Mushait, while the last one was headed for the city of Jizan. Aside from the single fatality, the missile’s debris had also reportedly caused severe damage to personal property.
Video posted to YouTube shows people running to inspect what looks like missile debris beside a highway in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom said on Sunday it intercepted and destroyed seven missiles fired from Yemen. https://t.co/Bzs3M4KRmj pic.twitter.com/vcT1q9XwvV
— CNN (@CNN) March 26, 2018
Saudi Arabia publicly condemned Yemen’s actions and mentioned in a statement that the attacks were a clear violation of UN Security Resolutions. The attacks have also been seen as a grave threat to the kingdom and the region, which has been exacerbated by the terrorist organization’s increased offensive capabilities. Saudi Arabia had previously blamed Iran for supplying the Houthi rebels with missiles. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry publicly stated that it blamed Hezbollah for smuggling missiles into Yemen.
Saudi Arabia's air force intercepted a missile over Riyadh on Sunday, according to an official with the country's Ministry of Information. Officials didn't say who was behind the attack. https://t.co/9S78fjzdKp
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) March 26, 2018
Previous missile attacks, which included several Iranian-modified scud missiles targeting an airport in Riyadh, were met with immediate retaliation. Saudi Arabia previously responded with multiple airstrikes on Yemen’s capital Sana’a. The latest attack, which resulted in the death of a resident, will likely result in a much more severe act of reprisal from the Saudi military.
