Saudi Arabia Briefly Issues Aerial Threat Alert in Riyadh as Yemen Death Toll Rises
Saudi authorities lift warning minutes after alert as Houthis report 44 killed, including 21 children, in strikes on Sanaa province
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Saudi authorities on Monday briefly warned residents of the capital Riyadh of a hostile aerial threat before lifting the alert minutes later, as the escalating confrontation with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis continues alongside mounting civilian casualties from Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.
Residents received a text message instructing them to remain calm, stay indoors or move to a safe place away from windows and doors, and follow Civil Defense instructions.
"Warning. The area is under a hostile aerial threat," the message said, urging residents to take precautions.
The alert was lifted shortly afterward, although Saudi authorities did not immediately provide further details about the threat.
Meanwhile, the Houthis' Health Ministry said the death toll from Saudi airstrikes in the Al-Shariyah area of Bani Hushaysh district, east of Sanaa, had risen to 44, with another 40 people wounded.
According to the statement carried by the group's Almasirah television channel, 21 children and 10 women were among those killed. Rescue teams were continuing to search for missing people, the ministry added.
The latest casualty figures bring the reported number of victims to 84 killed and wounded, although the figures have not been independently verified.
Riyadh Under Repeated Attack
The latest security alert in Riyadh follows a claim by the Houthis on Sunday that they had carried out an attack targeting the Saudi capital's financial district, where witnesses reported damage to a skyscraper belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco.
The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed that an administrative building belonging to Aramco in Riyadh had been subjected to an attempted attack, resulting in falling shrapnel that caused minor damage.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, according to the ministry.
The Houthis also claimed to have carried out four military operations involving ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, listing targets that included Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, the capital's airport, Aramco oil storage facilities, and the eastern Saudi city of Abqaiq.
Saudi air defenses have repeatedly intercepted incoming projectiles, while the kingdom has also announced strikes against Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen.
The latest escalation comes amid a renewed cycle of hostilities following the collapse of a 2022 truce that had largely paused fighting in Yemen's long-running conflict.
Fighting resumed in July, with Saudi Arabia and the Houthis exchanging attacks on military positions, airports, energy infrastructure, and other strategic sites.
The Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in one of the world's poorest countries.