Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been targeted by ballistic missiles claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as attacks on two major airports in the kingdom left three people dead and 36 others injured.
Saudi authorities confirmed that Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport were struck on Oct 6 and Oct 7, prompting the Saudi-led military coalition to threaten retaliation.
An Egyptian and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, while a Sudanese national died in the Riyadh attack, according to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority.
The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes, saying their attack on Riyadh’s airport had disrupted air traffic.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree also claimed another attack on King Khalid International Airport on Oct 8, warning airlines to avoid Saudi airspace.
The Saudi-led coalition condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure and vowed that those responsible would face consequences.
It said its forces had retaliated by striking 82 military targets, including missile launch facilities, command centres, communications systems and Houthi positions.
The coalition also claimed to have destroyed the ballistic missile launch platform used in the Riyadh airport attack.
Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed attacks on Aden airport in Yemen, where a missile reportedly landed near a runway shortly before the scheduled arrival of a flight from Cairo, forcing the aircraft to divert to Jeddah.
The airport attacks come amid renewed fighting in Yemen, where government forces backed by Saudi Arabia have launched a major counter-offensive against Houthi territorial gains.
At least 62 combatants, including 37 Houthi fighters, were killed in fresh clashes in western Yemen on Oct 7, according to military sources cited by AFP.
However, competing territorial claims by both sides could not be independently verified.
The United Nations said more than 200,000 people have been displaced since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition against the Houthis since 2015, with the latest escalation raising fresh concerns over civilian safety and aviation security across the region.
