Blast Rocks Riyadh 3 Days After Projectile ‘Intercepted’
RIYADH (Dispatches) – A loud explosion shook Riyadh on Tuesday three days after the kingdom claimed IT intercepted a projectile fired over the Saudi capital.
No immediate reaction came from Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated retaliatory missile or drone attacks from Houthi Ansarullah movement in neighboring Yemen since 2015.
The blast rattled windows across the Saudi capital at about 1pm (10:00 GMT), witnesses said. Some residents reported hearing two blasts on social media.
Saudi Arabia-owned Al Arabiya TV cited local reports of a blast and videos circulating on social media of a missile being intercepted over Riyadh.
On Saturday, Riyadh claimed it intercepted and destroyed a "hostile air target” heading towards Riyadh, state television reported.
The brief statement did not identify the source of the target and the Houthis said they were not involved.
In March 2015, the Saudi regime and a number of its allies launched the deadly war on Yemen to reinstall Riyadh-back President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, but the campaign has flatly failed in the face of stiff resistance by the Yemeni armed forces.
It is rare, however, for drones or missiles launched by the Houthis to reach the kingdom’s capital – about 700km (435 miles) from the border.
The incident comes only days after Joe Biden was sworn in as the US president, replacing Donald Trump.
On Monday, the Biden administration froze sanctions on dealings with the Houthis for one month as it reviews a "terrorism blacklist” imposed under former president Donald Trump, which aid groups warned would aggravate the already-devastating humanitarian crisis.
Oil prices ticked up on Tuesday alongside rising European shares and amid reports of the blast in Saudi Arabia, trading near 11-month highs.
Brent crude was up 43 cents, or 0.8%, at $56.31 by 1117 GMT, while U.S. crude rose 43 cents, or 0.8%, to $53.20. Both contracts rose nearly 1% on Monday and are set to post the third monthly rise in a row.
Prices moved up slightly after reports of a blast in Riyadh, although the cause remains unclear.
No immediate reaction came from Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated retaliatory missile or drone attacks from Houthi Ansarullah movement in neighboring Yemen since 2015.
The blast rattled windows across the Saudi capital at about 1pm (10:00 GMT), witnesses said. Some residents reported hearing two blasts on social media.
Saudi Arabia-owned Al Arabiya TV cited local reports of a blast and videos circulating on social media of a missile being intercepted over Riyadh.
On Saturday, Riyadh claimed it intercepted and destroyed a "hostile air target” heading towards Riyadh, state television reported.
The brief statement did not identify the source of the target and the Houthis said they were not involved.
In March 2015, the Saudi regime and a number of its allies launched the deadly war on Yemen to reinstall Riyadh-back President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, but the campaign has flatly failed in the face of stiff resistance by the Yemeni armed forces.
It is rare, however, for drones or missiles launched by the Houthis to reach the kingdom’s capital – about 700km (435 miles) from the border.
The incident comes only days after Joe Biden was sworn in as the US president, replacing Donald Trump.
On Monday, the Biden administration froze sanctions on dealings with the Houthis for one month as it reviews a "terrorism blacklist” imposed under former president Donald Trump, which aid groups warned would aggravate the already-devastating humanitarian crisis.
Oil prices ticked up on Tuesday alongside rising European shares and amid reports of the blast in Saudi Arabia, trading near 11-month highs.
Brent crude was up 43 cents, or 0.8%, at $56.31 by 1117 GMT, while U.S. crude rose 43 cents, or 0.8%, to $53.20. Both contracts rose nearly 1% on Monday and are set to post the third monthly rise in a row.
Prices moved up slightly after reports of a blast in Riyadh, although the cause remains unclear.