Yemen civil war: Saudi-led coalition intercepts ballistic missile over Riyadh

Houthi rebels say Volcano-H2 rocket was targeting Yamama royal palace

Yemen's Houthi rebels are leading the fight against a Saudi-led coalition backing the country's internationally recognised government (EPA/YAHYA ARHAB)

Saudi Arabia has intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh.

The rebels said the intended target was the kingdom’s Yamama Palace and declared a “new chapter” in its conflict with the Saudis who have led attempts to restore ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to power in Yemen.

The announcement of the attempted attack was carried by the Saudi state TV as residents of the kingdom posted videos on social media showing a small cloud of smoke in the sky.

The report said no damage was caused by the intercepted missile.

In Yemen, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman for the Houthi rebels tweeted that a ballistic “Volcano H-2” missile was used in the attack.

It is the second missile attack fired by the Houthis to target Riyadh since 4 November.

Last month's attack targeted the Saudi capital's airport but was also successfully intercepted.

The Yamama Palace is where the Saudi monarch, King Salman, receives visiting foreign dignitaries and top Saudi officials.

The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting in Yemen since March 2015 to defeat the Iran-backed Houthis and reinstate the internationally recognised government of Mr Hadi who was forced into exile by the rebel fighters in March 2015.

Since then UN efforts to negotiate a peace deal have failed and bitter fighting has continued.

Over 5,000 civilians, more than 20 per cent of them children, are estimated to have been killed in the fighting, and almost 50,000 people are believed to have been injured.

The civil war has now been underway for almost three years, destroying infrastructure and hitting food, medicine and fuel supplies and creating what the UN has described as a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report