Yemeni Rebels Launch Ballistic Missile Attack on Saudi Arabia... 2 Civilians Slightly Injured

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Saudi Arabian military announced on the night of the 28th (local time) that it intercepted a ballistic missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

According to the Associated Press, the Saudi military stated that it intercepted a ballistic missile launched targeting the capital Riyadh. Saudi state media reported that the US Patriot missile defense system was used during the interception. Residents of Riyadh posted on social networking services (SNS) that they heard bombing sounds in the middle of the night.

Subsequently, missile interceptions also took place in Jizan, a southern border city adjacent to Yemen. The Saudi military announced that all rebel missiles were shot down by air defense missiles, but two civilians in Riyadh sustained minor injuries from falling debris.

The Yemeni rebels claimed, "We precisely attacked strategically sensitive targets in Riyadh using our domestically produced short-range ballistic missile 'Zolfiqar' and attack drones 'Sammad-3'." They also stated that short-range ballistic missiles 'Badr' and attack drones 'Qasef-2K' were used against economic and military facilities in Jizan.

Foreign media reported that this attack occurred just days after the United Nations (UN) requested a ceasefire amid the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This is the first attack on Riyadh since June 2018.

This attack marks the first military action involving ballistic missiles since the ballistic missile strike on Saudi state oil company Aramco's oil facilities and oil fields on September 14 last year. The Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for that attack, but Saudi Arabia and the United States pointed to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.