Saudi Arabia intercepts missile near Riyadh Airport

Saudi Arabia has intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen, reports say, after a loud explosion was heard near Riyadh airport.

Saudi air defence forces were quoted by broadcaster Al-Arabiya as saying they intercepted the missile north-east of the capital.

A TV channel linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen said the missile was fired at the King Khalid International Airport.

Saudi state news channel Al-Ekhbariya said the missile caused no damage.

Saudi forces have reported shooting down Houthi missiles before, though none have come so close to a major population centre.

The rebel group has access to a stockpile of Scud ballistic missiles. Saudi forces have previously brought them down with Patriot surface-to-air missiles purchased from the US.

The Houthis fired a missile towards Riyadh in May, a day before US President Donald Trump was due to arrive in the city for a visit, but it was shot down 120 miles (200km) from the capital.

Yemen has been devastated by a war between forces loyal to the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.

Saudi Arabia is leading a campaign to defeat the Houthis, and is the biggest power in an international air coalition that has bombed the rebel group since 2015.

UN-brokered talks have failed to bring an end to the bloodshed, which has claimed more than 8,600 lives and injured nearly 50,000 since the Saudi-led campaign began.

BBC reports that the conflict has also left 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, created the world’s largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is believed to have affected 884,000 people and caused 2,184 deaths.