Riyadh: Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Thursday claimed it launched a ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, escalating a series of attacks that have disrupted air travel and heightened fears of a wider regional conflict.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted the Saudi capital’s main airport with a ballistic missile and claimed it had hit its intended target. Saudi Arabia, however, said its forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles headed towards Riyadh, along with another missile fired towards Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
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Explosions Reported After Houthis Attack, Flights Cancelled
Several explosions were reported across Riyadh, including near King Khalid International Airport. Witnesses reported seeing smoke over the airport area, while flights were halted and passengers were asked to leave the terminal area amid the security alert. Saudi authorities said debris from an intercepted missile caused material damage to a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex, although no casualties were immediately reported from Thursday’s incident.
The latest attack came just a day after Saudi authorities reported deadly attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport. According to Saudi aviation authorities, those attacks killed three people and injured 36 others. A Sudanese national was killed and eight people were wounded in the Riyadh attack, while two women, identified as Moroccan and Algerian residents, were killed in the Abha attack and 28 others were injured.
The attacks have also caused major disruption to commercial aviation. Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo suspended flights to and from Riyadh amid the deteriorating security situation. Air India said a Delhi-Riyadh flight turned back to Delhi after reports of the attack, while airlines offered affected passengers refunds or rescheduling options.
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The Houthis have warned international airlines against operating in Saudi airspace, saying the kingdom’s airspace has become a theatre for their military operations. The group has also threatened Saudi energy infrastructure, raising concerns for the world’s biggest oil exporter and for regional energy supplies.
The escalation is linked to the renewed war in Yemen, where Saudi-backed forces have launched a major offensive against the Houthis. The fighting has intensified around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The renewed conflict is unfolding against the backdrop of the wider regional war involving Iran and has increased concerns over both aviation and global energy security.
Saudi Arabia’s response is likely to be closely watched as the attacks increasingly target civilian infrastructure and major transportation hubs. Riyadh has already warned that Houthi attacks on civilian sites will not go unanswered, while the Houthis have continued to threaten further strikes against Saudi airports and energy facilities.
For now, the Houthis’ claim that their missile directly struck King Khalid International Airport has not been independently confirmed. Saudi authorities have instead said the missiles aimed at Riyadh were intercepted. The competing claims underscore the rapidly escalating information and military battle surrounding the latest attacks.
