In brief
The General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that three Saudi nationals were killed when Yemen's Houthi militants launched missile strikes at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. A second attack wounded several others, including a Saudia pilot. The incidents are part of a broader escalation that has seen the Houthis target airbases and civilian infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, while Saudi forces continue to confront Houthi advances in Yemen. Earlier attacks on Oct. 6-7 at Abha and King Khalid airports left additional casualties, marking a sharp spike in violence. The conflict, which began in 2015, has now intensified with maritime embargoes and renewed shelling, returning the region to a state of heightened war.
Riyadh’s airport struck by Houthi missiles, three Saudi nationals killed
King Khalid International Airport was hit by two missile launches from Yemen’s Houthi forces on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of three Saudi nationals and injuries to several others, including a pilot from the national carrier, Saudia. The General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed the incident on X, stating that air traffic resumed normally thereafter.
The attacks come amid a surge in violence along Saudi-Yemen borders. Earlier in October, Houthi forces launched strikes on Abha and King Khalid airports, killing and wounding more civilians and crew. The Houthis say these acts are retaliatory for what they describe as a “Saudi aggression” that has included sixty airstrikes and missile attacks in the past 24 hours.
Beyond Riyadh, the Houthis claim to have also targeted an airport in Najran near the Yemen border and Khamis Mushait air base, though Saudi confirmation is pending. Their recent seizure of strategic Red Sea ports, notably Mokha at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, has marked a renewed attempt to control critical shipping lanes, prompting Saudi-led coalition air and naval counter‑measures.
The conflict, which escalated in 2015, has seen a fragile ceasefire break in July, with the Houthis imposing a “maritime embargo” and increasing missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure. This latest series of strikes signifies an intensification that threatens to spread beyond airspace and trigger wider regional destabilization.
For further coverage, visit the BBC’s full report.
