Saudi civil defence sends all-clear after danger warning for capital Riyadh

Saudi ​civil defence sent ‌an all-clear early ​on Saturday after issuing alerts for potential danger in Riyadh and the ‌city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.

The alert was ‌the first for the capital since Houthis in neighbouring ‌Yemen intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia. A Reuters journalist heard two booms in Riyadh’s Olaya area.

The alert comes hours after ⁠the Houthis' ​military spokesperson said ⁠the group had foiled unspecified "criminal attempts" in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, ⁠blaming Saudi Arabia and vowing a response. The Houthis, who control the ​most populous parts of Yemen and much of the ⁠north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval ⁠blockade ​against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.

The group, which has seized ⁠Yemen's entire Red Sea coast since last week in a ⁠lightning advance, ⁠say the Saudi Air Force has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in recent days.