Explosions were heard in Riyadh on Saturday local time. The blasts\noccurred after Saudi Arabian authorities issued an air raid warning\nfollowing threats of attacks from the pro-Iranian Houthi group in\nYemen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis area is under threat from enemy aircraft,\u201d read the warning\nmessage received by residents in the Saudi capital, as reported by the\nAFP news agency on Saturday (19\/09\/2026).<\/p>\n
This is the first time the capital has been directly affected since\nthe conflict in neighbouring Yemen escalated again in July.<\/p>\n
The Houthi group in Yemen stated on Friday (18\/09) that Saudi Arabia\nhad launched 26 attacks on territories under their control within the\nlast 24 hours, amidst fierce clashes between the pro-Iranian group and\nthe Riyadh-backed Yemeni government in the reignited civil war.<\/p>\n
The group noted that the number of Saudi attacks against them has\nreached 300 over the past week, targeting various Houthi-controlled\nregions in Yemen.<\/p>\n
The war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital,\nSanaa, had subsided since 2022 but has drastically intensified since\nJuly.<\/p>\n
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting the\ninternationally recognised Yemeni government. This intervention has\nexpanded the war\u2019s escalation and triggered one of the world\u2019s worst\nhumanitarian crises in the impoverished nation.<\/p>\n
This month, the Houthis, who control much of Yemen\u2019s populated areas,\nlaunched lightning strikes to seize the entire Yemeni Red Sea coast,\ngranting them control over the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait.<\/p>\n
The Zaydi Shia community-based group from northern Yemen has declared\na maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. This is significant as the\nroute is frequently used by Saudi Arabia to export oil to avoid the\nStrait of Hormuz, which is also closed due to Middle East conflicts.<\/p>\n
The Houthi group maintains that navigation through the strait remains\nopen and free for everyone, except for Saudi-owned vessels.<\/p>\n
On Friday, the UN stated that the rekindled fighting has forced more\nthan 112,000 people to flee their homes. Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 others\nhave fled across the sea to Djibouti, adding to the suffering of a\npopulation already in a dire situation.<\/p>\n
In 2025, the UN warned that 17 million people in Yemen are struggling\nto access food, with another one million facing the threat of extreme\nfamine.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/explosions-heard-in-riyadh-as-saudi-authorities-issue-air-raid-warning-1789782795", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }