The Houthi movement in Yemen has claimed a new Houthi Riyadh airport attack, saying its forces struck King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital with drones early on Wednesday. The Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile north of Riyadh, while Saudi authorities confirmed three people were injured in separate attacks on airports in Jazan and Najran.
FAKTA
- Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claims drones hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, calling the strike “precise”.
- The group also claims attacks on Abha airport, Khamis Mushait air base and military camps in Jizan and Asir.
- Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki says a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh was intercepted and destroyed.
- Saudi authorities confirm three injuries and facility damage at Jazan and Najran airports.
- AFP sources report more than 270 fighters killed in a single day of fighting; the UN counts nearly 1,000 dead and over 180,000 displaced in the renewed conflict.
What the Houthis claim
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on X that the group targeted King Khalid International Airport with several drones, claiming the attack was “precise” and disrupted air traffic at the facility. He also said Houthi forces carried out operations against Abha International Airport and Khamis Mushait Air Base using ballistic missiles and drones, claiming both struck their targets accurately.
In a separate statement, Saree said the group targeted three military camps — Dagharir in Jizan, Aakifah in Asir and Al-Mawsim in Jizan — with what he described as a large number of ballistic missiles and drones. The Houthis also claimed a missile attack on Aden airport inside Yemen, where local authorities reported two missiles struck near the airport without causing casualties.
Saudi air defenses have been activated repeatedly as cross-border attacks intensify.
Saudi response to the Houthi Riyadh airport attack
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said on X that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis was intercepted and destroyed north of Riyadh. He said coalition intelligence systems had tracked the launch platform in the skies over Sanaa and that it would be destroyed.
The coalition separately announced that a ballistic missile fired toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia had been intercepted and destroyed. Saudi authorities also reported attacks on airports in Jazan and Najran on Monday night, in which three people were injured and facilities sustained damage.
Neither the Houthi claim of a successful strike on the Riyadh airport nor the full extent of the damage has been independently verified, and Saudi authorities have not confirmed that the capital’s main airport was hit.
Fighting intensifies across Yemen
The exchange comes as fighting has sharply escalated in Yemen following the launch of a Saudi-backed counteroffensive against the Houthis. Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi air power, are seeking to reclaim territory along the Red Sea coast and around the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key international shipping route.
Government forces reported recapturing several areas around Bab al-Mandab, including Dhubab, Bab and Hadeid, as well as the port city of Mocha. The Houthis, who control most of northwest Yemen, seized the entire western coastline in what has been described as the country’s deadliest fighting in years, after a four-year ceasefire broke down.
Sources on both sides told AFP that fighting across the country had killed more than 270 government troops and Houthi fighters over the past day alone. Claims by both sides remain impossible to independently verify, with access for journalists difficult and the situation on the ground moving fast.
Sanaa, the Houthi-held Yemeni capital, where the coalition says it is tracking launch platforms.
Humanitarian toll
The United Nations has reported nearly 1,000 deaths and more than 180,000 people displaced in the recent fighting. International organizations warn of worsening humanitarian conditions, including increasing cholera and malnutrition cases and shortages of medical supplies, as aid efforts struggle to reach affected areas.
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Read more on Watan News: Houthis claim new attack on Riyadh airport as fighting continues in Yemen and our World news section.
Conclusion
The competing claims over the Riyadh airport attack underline how difficult it is to establish facts in the renewed Yemen war. What is confirmed is that cross-border strikes and a major ground offensive are intensifying together, pushing the humanitarian crisis deeper while energy markets and shipping routes watch nervously.
