France, Oct. 16 -- Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile over the Medina region, home to one of Islam's holiest cities - an area the Yemeni movement had previously said it would not target.

The interception came the day after Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh airport and a Saudi Aramco site, after Saudi authorities reported a strike on a building belonging to the oil giant.

The Yemeni rebels have warned that further operations will follow in the coming days.

The attacks testify to the Houthis' growing military capacities, according to Kharief, a researcher specialising in defence and security with the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

While the rebels originally relied on their ma...