Sirens Blare Across Riyadh as Yemen Launches Retaliatory Strikes

Sirens warning of incoming missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Yemen sounded in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and other parts of the kingdom.

It comes as Yemeni armed forces continue targeting strategic sites deep inside Saudi Arabia in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes and the ongoing blockade.

Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defense issued emergency alerts through the National Early Warning Platform to residents of Riyadh and the neighboring al-Kharj governorate early Saturday, warning of a potential imminent hazard.

The alert was sent directly to mobile devices through cellular networks as several powerful explosions were heard in Riyadh.

Saudi Civil Defense authorities reportedly urged residents to remain calm, stay indoors, and take shelter in interior rooms away from windows, balconies and other glass surfaces.

Members of the public were urged to avoid open spaces and public gatherings, and to refrain from filming emergency operations.

Saudi media outlets reported that similar sirens also sounded in Yanbu, a Red Sea port city in western Saudi Arabia; al-Ula, northwest of the holy city of Medina; and the southwestern cities of Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Abha.

Yemeni commander killed in a Saudi airstrike.

A senior Yemeni military commander was killed in a Saudi airstrike targeting the Kahboub area near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

General Firaq Mohsen al-Assar, commander of the Yemeni Army’s First Commando Brigade, was killed along with six guards in the airstrike.

Saudi warplanes carried out strikes on several locations in Yemen’s Ma’rib province.

Saudi fighter jets conducted a series of airstrikes on several locations in Yemen’s central Ma’rib province.

There were no immediate reports on possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

The Sana’a administration announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, citing what it described as an “unfair and tyrannical siege” imposed on Yemen for nearly 12 years.

The Yemeni military said it had carried out several successful operations targeting ships linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

Yemeni media reported Friday that the Armed Forces had captured strategic high ground in southwestern Lahij province overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, making gains against Saudi-backed forces in the area.

Yemeni armed forces have recently announced that they have taken control of Perim Island, also known as Mayyun Island, strengthening their strategic position near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime corridor connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen and launched a wide-ranging military campaign, with military, political and logistical support from the United States and several Western nations.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, but Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its stated goal of restoring a government aligned with its interests.