Big European powers condemn weekend attack on Riyadh

PARIS - The 'E3' group of European powers - France, the United Kingdom and Germany - said in a joint statement on Monday that they condemned an attack at the weekend on the Saudi capital Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting against Yemen's Huthi movement said on January 23 that it had thwarted an attack by the Huthis towards Riyadh, the kingdom's state-owned broadcaster Al-Hadath TV reported on its Twitter page.

Social media users posted video of what appeared to be an explosion in the air over Riyadh. Saudi state TV quoted authorities in the kingdom acknowledging the interception.

Yahia Sarei, a military spokesman for the Huthis, said in a brief statement that the rebels had not carried out attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past 24 hours. The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a warning to Americans calling on them to “stay alert in case of additional future attacks.”

The Huthis have held Yemen's capital and the north, where the majority of the population lives, since September 2014. Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war against them in March 2015 in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government.

The war has been mired in a stalemate for years. Riyadh has been targeted in sporadic missile attacks in that time, while the Huthis also have launched missile and drone strikes.

Western experts, Saudi Arabia and the US say Iran has supplied arms, including ballistic missiles, to the Huthis. Iran denies that, although devices in the weapons link back to Tehran.