"Direct Hit": Houthis' Claim Targeted Saudi Ministry With Ballistic Missile

Yemen's Houthis claimed on Tuesday that they targeted Saudi Arabia's defence ministry in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and that the "hit was direct".

"Our armed forces targeted the Ministry of Defence in the enemy Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile and the hit was direct," said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.

This comes after Saudi said that they had intercepted two missiles launched by Houthis earlier in the day. Explosions were heard in Saudi's capital on Tuesday, news agency AFP reported.

READ | Houthis Claim Missile Strike On Saudi Oil Refinery As Blasts Shake Riyadh

Houthis also claimed to attack the kingdom's biggest oil refinery, Ras Tanura, which is located on the Gulf west of the Strait of Hormuz.

Saree said that they fired a ballistic missile at the refinery, which caused "massive fires". However, Saudi authorities did not confirm the attack.

A resident of Al Khobar, a city in the south of Ras Tanura complex, told AFP that they heard a "very loud bang" and they got an alert on their phones.

Maritime security agency Vanguard also reported the fire in Ras Tanura on Tuesday, saying that it was contained but the "extent of damage and any impact on oil-loading operations" remained unclear The hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have escalated since September, months into the war between the United States and Iran.

READ | $1 Billion For Peace? Report Flags A Secret Saudi Deal With Houthis Via Iran

An Israeli newspaper reported on Monday that Saudi offered a financial package of $1 billion to Houthi rebels through an Iran-brokered deal to secure a ceasefire and halt attacks on the kingdom. The report by Israel Hayom cites Gulf diplomatic sources and states that the proposal aims to completely halt Houthi strikes on Saudi infrastructure. It cited one source as saying that Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman even brought the money with him during his trip to Iran on Monday. Saudi's Mecca pact partners - Turkey and Pakistan - were also present at the meeting. 

READ | Saudi Coalition Destroys 3 Houthi Missiles, 4 Drones Fired Towards Kingdom

"The visit to Tehran by Prince Khalid bin Salman, the defense minister, and representatives of the member states of the Mecca Joint Defense Alliance comes as part of the alliance's ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions between the parties to the current crisis, encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and support the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," Saudi's defence ministry said referring to the meeting.