Explosions heard in Riyadh after air attack warning

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense Directorate announced on its official account on the social network X that the early warning and alarm system, including air defense sirens, had been activated in the capital, Riyadh. The agency issued safety instructions for civilians to follow immediately amid an air threat.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that, according to local sources and eyewitnesses, four loud explosions were heard in succession over Riyadh after the warning siren sounded.

The explosions are believed to have occurred as the Kingdom’s air defense forces intercepted ballistic or unmanned aerial targets.

The Civil Defense Directorate said shortly afterward that the immediate threat to the capital had passed. Mobile phone users in the city received safety alerts stating that the security situation had returned to normal, while warning them to stay away from areas where possible missile or drone debris may have fallen and not to approach suspicious objects.

Yemen-based Ansarullah (Houthi) group, which is backed by Iran, has recently intensified attempts to attack strategic and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the capital, Riyadh, using ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones.