Explosions heard in Saudi capital Riyadh: AFP journalists

Multiple explosions were heard in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, as the military coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it had intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed group towards Riyadh.

AFP journalists heard multiple explosions and residents received a text-message alert on their mobile phones instructing them to take shelter due to an "aerial threat".

"Air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh," the Saudi-led coalition posted on X.

A subsequent message from the country's civil defence agency said the danger had passed.

The coalition had earlier said air defences also destroyed a ballistic missile headed towards the southern region overnight.

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has faced near-daily strikes from Yemen's Houthis for weeks, after a truce in their long-running conflict unravelled in July.

On Sunday, the Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh's business district, where witnesses said Aramco Tower was damaged.

Saudi authorities said the building suffered minor damage from falling shrapnel after an "attempted attack".

Images released by Saudi Arabia's press agency on Tuesday depicted the Riyadh region's deputy governor and other officials inspecting the building with visible damage to some of its floors.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Aramco tankers, refineries, storage areas and the company's headquarters.

The Saudi-led coalition initially launched hostilities with the Houthis in March 2015, months after the group seized the capital Sanaa, forcing out Yemen's internationally recognised government.