Houthis Claim Missile, Drone Attacks on Saudi Airports and Military Sites
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — WEB DESK: Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed a new wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting airports, a military airbase and other military installations across Saudi Arabia as fighting in Yemen intensifies.
Houthi forces said several drones were launched towards King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, claiming the operation disrupted air traffic at the kingdom’s main airport serving the capital.
The group also claimed two operations targeting Abha International Airport and the Khamis Mushait military airbase in southern Saudi Arabia using ballistic missiles and drones.
Additional attacks were claimed against military camps in Jizan and Asir, including sites at Dagharir, Aakifah and Al-Mawsim.
Saudi-led coalition forces separately reported intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile launched towards the Riyadh region. The projectile was intercepted north of the capital, while coalition forces tracked its launch location in Yemen.
Independent confirmation of all the targets and damage claimed by the Houthis was not immediately available.
The latest attacks come amid a sharp escalation in fighting in Yemen, where Saudi-backed government forces have intensified operations against Houthi positions around strategically important areas near the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The conflict has also increasingly affected civilian aviation. Missile and drone threats have raised security concerns around airports in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen as hostilities spread across multiple fronts.
Aden International Airport in Yemen was also targeted early Wednesday with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. One missile landed near the runway shortly before a passenger flight from Cairo was due to arrive, forcing authorities to divert the aircraft to Jeddah.
The renewed exchanges have heightened concerns over aviation safety and regional security, particularly as the Bab el-Mandeb remains a critical maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Further military activity remains possible as Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis continue operations across Yemen and along the Saudi-Yemeni frontier.
