Houthis claim missile strikes on Riyadh and Dammam airports; coalition says it downed two missiles

RIYADH — The Houthi movement said on 29 October that it targeted the airports of Riyadh and Dammam and a military headquarters in Najran. The Saudi-led coalition said it shot down two ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh.

The Houthi claim was relayed in a post on Al Jazeera Arabic's Telegram channel. The post carried a breaking-news headline attributing the statement to the military spokesperson of Ansar Allah, the formal name of the Houthi movement. The post's text, as available, does not name the spokesperson or describe the weapons used. Al Jazeera's Telegram post has not been independently verified.

Coalition account

Middle East Eye, in a live-blog update, reported that the coalition said its air defences "intercepted and destroyed" two ballistic missiles. The outlet attributed the report to the Saudi Press Agency. It said the Houthis fired the missiles towards Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

The two accounts overlap on Riyadh. The Houthi statement refers to the city's airport. The coalition statement, as reported by Middle East Eye, refers to missiles fired towards the capital. It does not say which target the missiles were aimed at.

What is not confirmed

The available material leaves several points open:

• Whether the Houthi claim and the coalition's interception refer to the same launches.
• Whether any projectile reached Riyadh airport, Dammam airport or the site in Najran.
• Whether the coalition or Saudi authorities have commented on Dammam or Najran.
• Whether there were any casualties or damage.
• Whether flights were affected at any of the airports.

None of the sources provided gives the number of missiles or other projectiles the Houthis say they launched. They also do not say what type of military site was hit in Najran. The Houthi claim of strikes on the three locations has not been confirmed by Saudi officials in the material reviewed.

Sources and timing

Middle East Eye published its update at 19:54 UTC on 29 October. Al Jazeera Arabic's Telegram post followed at 19:56 UTC the same day. The two reports appeared within minutes of each other.

Background

The coalition described in the reports is led by Saudi Arabia. It is the group whose statements are carried by the Saudi Press Agency. The Houthis are also known as Ansar Allah. Riyadh is the Saudi capital. Dammam and Najran are also Saudi locations named in the Houthi statement.

This report will need updating if Saudi authorities, the coalition or the Houthis give further detail on the targets, any damage or any casualties.