Riyadh kindergarten hit by missile debris, Saudi says

Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency said interception debris damaged a kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh on Thursday, after Yemen's Houthis said they had targeted the Saudi capital's airport.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it had intercepted two missiles fired toward Riyadh. The civil defence agency did not say whether there were casualties or give details of the damage.

Diplomats told AFP they were instructed to shelter in place in their embassies after explosions echoed around the city. Several residents told AFP that international schools were taking precautions, and signage at King Khalid International Airport showed numerous flights delayed or cancelled. The airport said passengers should contact airlines before travelling.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Riyadh, including its airport, in recent days. On Thursday, the group also warned workers to evacuate Saudi oil facilities, days after it said it had hit a major refinery south of the capital.

Fighting in Yemen resumed in July after years of relative calm. The Houthis last month seized all of Yemen's Red Sea coast, while Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces have struggled to roll back their advance. Claims by the warring sides have been difficult to verify independently because the situation is moving quickly and access for journalists is limited.

UN data cited by AFP says more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since July. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said a day earlier that an Egyptian and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, while a Sudanese national was killed at Riyadh airport, after attacks claimed by the Houthis.