Saudi Arabia shoots down seven missiles from Yemen, including three in capital Riyadh

Saudi Arabia on Sunday shot down seven ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi militia, reports said.

At least one person was killed as debris from the destroyed missiles fell on the ground in Riyadh. This is the first death in the Saudi capital since the Saudi-led coalition's military campaign began in Yemen some three years ago.

The missiles were shot down by the Saudi air defences in northeastern Riyadh (3) as well as the southern cities of Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait shortly before midnight, the coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

The debris fell on a home in Riyadh, killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptians. Witnesses reported several booms in Riyadh and also saw smoke in the air. A Reuters report said a witness saw a long stream of light followed by additional explosions.

The SABA news agency, run by the Houthis, said their missiles had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a Burkan H2 missile. The report added that other types of missiles were fired at airports in Jizan, Najran and Abha.

This is the third time in five months that missiles have flown over Riyadh. The Houthis have been trying to show their capability to reach the Saudi capital, amid escalating tensions between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition of Gulf Arab states launched military operations against the Houthis in Yemen in March 2015, after the Iran-aligned Shi'ite militia seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa and forced President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi to flee.