(AFP) -- Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile, which was launched from Yemen, near Riyadh's international airport on Saturday.

The missile was the first aimed by the Yemeni fighters at the heart of the Saudi capital, underscoring the growing threat posed by the raging conflict.

"The leadership of the coalition forces therefore considers this... a blatant military aggression by the Iranian regime which may amount to an act of war," the official Saudi news agency SPA said in a statement.

Smouldering debris landed inside the King Khalid International Airport, just north of Riyadh, after the missile was shot down but authorities reported no major damage or loss of life.

Despite the temporary closure of the air, sea and land ports, Saudi would protect "the entry and exit of relief and humanitarian personnel".

According to the World Health Organization, more than 8,650 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in 2015 and nearly 49,000 wounded.

(Photo: reuters)