Saudi Arabia intercepts missile targeting main airport

Published 7:23 am Monday, November 6, 2017

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia said its forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired Saturday by rebels in from Yemen toward one of the kingdom’s major international airports on the outskirts of the capital, Riyadh.

The missile fire drew an immediate rebuke from President Donald Trump, who blamed Iran in part for the attack.

The missile was fired across Saudi Arabia’s southern border by Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels, according to several Houthi-owned media outlets, including Al-Masirah and SABA. The rebels are at war with the kingdom.

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Saudi Arabia said the missile was shot down by its air defense forces, with fragments of the missile landing in an uninhabited area north of the capital. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority said the missile did not cause any damage to King Khalid International Airport and that flights were not disrupted.