Morning in Riyadh: two blasts and alarms

Saturday morning in Riyadh began with the sound of explosions. Two blasts were heard in the Saudi capital amid an attack linked to Yemen's Houthi group. Saudi authorities activated an early warning system so residents would be alert to potential threats.

Indonesian television station tvOne described Saudi defences as briefly breached, with alarms sounding immediately across the Riyadh area. As of that report, there were no reports of casualties on the Saudi side from the morning incident.

Afternoon in Sanaa: a house and a cement factory hit

The Saudi response came the same day. Saudi warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on Sanaa and its surrounding governorate. Saba News Agency reported a house in the Asir area destroyed, killing four people.

Another strike hit a civilian cement factory in Hamdan district, causing casualties among workers and nearby residents. tvOne reported at least three people killed in the wave of strikes, with the injured still being counted.

Context: the four-target claim and Dammam airport

Saturday's escalation did not stand alone. Two days earlier, a Houthi spokesperson claimed the group had launched four ballistic missiles and several kamikaze drones at four Saudi targets: the Defence Ministry in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Aramco facilities in Yanbu, and Abha Airport.

That claim has not been officially confirmed by Saudi Arabia. But the earlier attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam had already caused real casualties: two people killed and eight others injured, according to CNBC Indonesia. The Houthis also claimed to have attacked Aden on Saturday, after accusing Riyadh of carrying out strikes.