Saudi Arabia says it intercepted Houthi missiles aimed at Riyadh; analyst says attacks are expected

Saudi Arabia says a kindergarten and medical clinic in Riyadh were damaged by debris from an intercepted ballistic missile. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says its forces shot down two Houthi missiles targeting Riyadh and one targeting Khamis Mushait. The Houthis have warned workers at Saudi oil facilities to avoid sites they consider targets. Earlier, the Houthis said they launched an attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, marking the third consecutive day of strikes on airports across Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said at least three people had been killed in earlier attacks on two of its airports, with more than 30 others injured. Nawaf Obaid, a senior research fellow at King’s College London, security and intelligence analyst, and former special adviser to Prince Turki Al Faisal, told Al Jazeera that Saudi Arabia is at war and Houthi attacks are expected. He said Saudi Arabia’s multi-layered air defence system is preventing most missiles from reaching their targets, although debris can still fall in populated areas. Obaid said Houthi strikes are likely to decrease as the group has a limited number of launchers and the Saudi-led coalition targets them, adding that the Houthis are not Iran and have a finite missile supply. He said Saudi Arabia’s strategic objective is to degrade the Houthis’ military capabilities rather than defeat or eradicate the group.

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