Saudi Arabia's missile defenses look to have 'failed catastrophically' at trying to stop a large Houthi strike

Screenshot via Twitter/Rosie Perper

Saudi Arabia's missile defense system intercepts several missiles fired from rebel-Houthis.

• Saudi Arabia's missile interceptors may have "failed catastrophically" in their attempt to shoot down several missiles headed towards the its capital, Riyadh. 
• Their failure may have resulted in three casualties in the city.
• The recent missiles follow dozens of launches by Yemen's Houthi rebel group in recent months.
• The missile strikes may have deliberately coincided with the the Crown Prince's visit to the US.

Saudi Arabia's missile interceptors may have "failed catastrophically" in their attempt to shoot down several Yemeni missiles headed towards the capital of Riyadh. 

Seven ballistic missiles launched from Yemeni rebel group Houthis were intercepted on Sunday, according to Saudi Press Agency. One person died and two others were injured from shrapnel over Riyadh, according to UAE-based English daily The National.

However, experts say the both missile interceptors failed "catastrophically," possibly causing the casualties in the capital city. 

Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said on Twitter that through video footage released of the missiles, it appeared one defense system failed while another "pulled a u-turn" and exploded over Riyadh.

Lewis said it was "entirely possible" that the defense system failure caused the three casualties, rather than the actual missiles.

"Will have to see where debris fell, impact points, and where people were killed/injured before we can make educated guesses," Lewis tweeted. 

Experts say Sunday's barrage could be the largest number of ballistic missiles fired at once by the rebel group since the war escalated four years ago.

The recent missiles follow dozens of launches by the Houthis in recent months, including a November launch towards Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. Saudi Arabia claimed to have downed the missile, while the Houthis claimed its munition successfully reached its target.

The militant group has been protesting Saudi Arabia's role in its bloody civil war, and has engaged in an increasingly violent border conflict with the Kingdom since 2015.

The strikes coincided with the Royal Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's multi-week visit to the US, which may have been a deliberate display of disapproval by the Iran-backed rebels.

On Thursday, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urged the Crown Prince to pursue "urgent efforts" to create a peaceful solution to Yemen's ongoing civil war.