Saudi capital Riyadh issues first air raid alert since Houthi hostilities resumed

Explosions were heard in Riyadh early Saturday, AFP journalists reported, after Saudi authorities issued their first air raid alert in the capital since fighting returned to neighbouring Yemen.

The Houthis have been fighting with Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces since the country's civil war reignited in July, when the group also declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea.

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This is the first time the conflict has reached the capital, adding to concerns over stability after nearly seven months of war between the United States and Iran.

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"The area is under a hostile aerial threat," a message received shortly before 3am by residents of the Saudi capital warned, urging them to stay indoors.

Saudi Arabia is yet to comment on the threat mentioned in the warnings sent overnight to residents of several regions and has not identified where it originated from.

It comes after Riyadh accused the group of targeting Mecca on Wednesday, denouncing it as a "cowardly terrorist attack" on Islam's holy city, which welcomes millions of pilgrims each year.

The Houthis strongly denied the accusation, calling it a "worn-out lie".

The United States, which, according to Axios last week, refused to strike the Houthis at Saudi Arabia's request, approved the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom on Thursday.

The sale, worth $24.3 billion, is intended to help Riyadh "deter current and future threats", the US State Department said.