Houthis fire missile at Saudi palace

Yemeni rebels fired a missile into Saudi Arabia on Monday, hoping to hit the royal palace in the kingdom’s capital. Saudi defense systems intercepted the ballistic “Volcano H-2” missile as it flew over southern Riyadh. The projectile did not do any damage. A spokesman for the Houthi rebels confirmed the attack and said the rebels hoped the missile would land in Yamama Palace, where King Salman holds weekly government meetings and entertains world leaders and dignitaries. The last missile the Houthis fired into Saudi Arabia targeted the country’s international airport in Riyadh. Officials claimed they intercepted it too, but media reports suggested the missle might have come down on its own, near its intended target. Saudi Arabia uses the U.S.-made Patriot anti-missile system. Fighting in Yemen began in 2015 and pits two regional powers against each other. Iran supports the rebels while the U.S.-backed, Saudi coalition supports the exiled government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.