Saudi Arabia intercepts ‘hostile target’ over Riyadh

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it intercepted an apparent missile or drone attack over its capital, Riyadh, amid the kingdom's yearslong war against neighboring Yemen's Huthi rebels. The incident came at about 11am (08:00 GMT). "The whole house was shaking".

The coalition also intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by the Houthis towards Saudi Arabia, state TV channel Ekhbariya said on Twitter.

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge launching a missile or a drone toward Riyadh.

The US embassy in Riyadh issued a warning to Americans calling on them to "stay alert in case of additional future attacks".

The coalition will complete in March its sixth year of war in Yemen against Houthi militia in support of the government of the Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week that Washington would take a look at the designation, which United Nations officials and aid groups fear is complicating efforts to combat the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The US Department of State has initiated a review of the designation of the rebel Houthi movement as a terrorist organization and is working as fast as it can to make a determination, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

At his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Blinken said he would "immediately" review the Trump administration's labelling of the insurgents, fearing the move was worsening a humanitarian crisis.