Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, allegedly launched a ballistic missile towards the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
A tweet from Reuters World reads:
“BREAKING: Yemen’s Houthi movement says it fired ballistic missiles toward Saudi capital Riyadh; report unconfirmed”
BREAKING: Yemen’s Houthi movement says it fired ballistic missile towards Saudi capital Riyadh; report unconfirmed
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) May 19, 2017
News of this alleged missile launch came just hours before the President departed for his trip abroad.
Backed by Iran, the Houthi rebels have been fighting for control of Yemen since they overthrew the pro-American government in 2014. Saudi Arabia, with the support of several other regional states, began an air assault against the rebels the following year. The coalition later stepped up its efforts with intense ground attacks.
. . .
Houthi rebels bombed a Saudi ship in late January. They claimed in February to have struck a military base 25 miles west of the Saudi capital with a ballistic missile. Saudi Arabia said that the strike was unsuccessful.
We are on the highway from the airport coming into Riyadh and all is calm, no indication of any missile attack. https://t.co/ui8MjhTofn
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 19, 2017
