Yemeni Houthis Fire Another Missile at Riyadh

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Retaliating against the US/Saudi war an blockade on Yemen, ongoing for nearly three years, massacring civilians, responsible for the world's gravest humanitarian crisis, Houthi fighters twice launched missiles against Saudi Arabian targets around its capital, Riyadh.

The regime is the region's leading Arab state human rights abuser, second only to Israeli state terror against Palestinians, ongoing daily for decades.

In early November, Houthis fired a Volcano scud missile at Riyadh's international airport, falsely called Iranian-supplied, the Big Lie repeated by neocon Nikki Haley.

The US/Saudi land, sea and air blockade prevents most essentials to life from getting in, virtually impossible for easily spotted weapons like missiles.

On December 19, Houthis fired another missile aimed at the Riyadh Al-Yamama palace, king Salman's official residence.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam confirmed the launch, saying a Volcano missile with a range of 800 km was used.

According to Yemen's al-Masirah TV, citing military sources, the missile targeted a gathering of Saudi officials, with no further elaboration.

A Saudi statement said the missile was intercepted and destroyed, causing no damage or injuries - state-controlled media issuing a similar comment.

According to AFP, a loud explosion was heard at 1050 GMT, shortly before the Yamamah palace meeting.

Citing Yemeni sources, Al-Alam news said an explosion occurred about 1.5 km from America's Riyadh embassy.

In early December, a Yemeni military spokesman said no Saudi palaces or other Riyadh locations are safe.

According to the Houthi's defense ministry, all Saudi palaces, its military and oil facilities are in range of its fighter's missiles.

A New York Times report contradicted the Saudis, saying "(a)round midday, a large boom startled many in Riyadh, including customers at a cafe in the center of the city, where several ran outside to see a puff of gray smoke in the sky and black smoke rising from the ground nearby" - likely from a detonating Houthi missile the Saudis claimed was intercepted and destroyed before hitting the ground.

In early November, the Houthi missile fired at Riyadh's international airport detonated near its intended target.

It wasn't destroyed as the Saudis claimed, according to a NYT investigation, adding it's unclear what it struck.

Houthi leadership said their missile attack marked the start of a new campaign against the Saudi aggressor.

It's likely both its missiles fired detonated on the ground, not destroyed, as Riyadh claimed. 

Perhaps future ones will damage or destroy Saudi targets too prominent to cover up.

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