RIYADH – Saudi air defenses shot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’sHouthi group towards Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition said, in anattack that could escalate a proxy war between the kingdom and Iran.

There were no reports of casualties or damage. In contrast, a U.N. humanrights spokesman said coalition air strikes had killed at least 136non-combatants in war-torn Yemen since Dec. 6.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it had aimed the missile at the Saudiroyal court at al-Yamama palace, where a meeting of Saudi leaders was underway. It described the attack as a new chapter in the conflict.

The Saudi-led coalition said the missile, the latest of several firedtowards Riyadh, had been directed at residential areas and there had beenno damage.

Quoting a statement from the coalition, Saudi state news agency SPA saidIranian-made missiles were a threat to regional and international security.It accused the Houthis of using humanitarian entry points into Yemen tosmuggle in missiles from Saudi Arabia’s regional arch-foe Iran.

“Coalition forces confirm intercepting an Iranian-Houthi missile targeting(the) south of Riyadh. There are no reported casualties at this time,” thegovernment-run Center for International Communication wrote on its Twitteraccount.

Saudi palaces, military and oil facilities are within range of suchmissiles, the Houthis said in a statement carried by the group’s Al-Masirahtelevision.

The U.S. State Department condemned the missile attack and called on Iranto stop arming the Houthis.