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Several explosions were heard in Riyadh on Thursday, including a large blast at the city’s international airport, a witness told The Associated Press. The blasts came a day after Saudi officials reported deaths and injuries in attacks on airports in the kingdom.
The explosions unsettled markets and pushed up crude prices as Saudi Arabia was drawn further into the latest front in the Iran war.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a new attack on King Khalid International Airport, saying a ballistic missile caused damage but offering no evidence. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the claim.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, said coalition forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and another fired toward Khamis Mushait, in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border.
The Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks on Saudi airports, military sites and oil facilities in recent days. Early Thursday, they warned international airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military operations.
The rebels also urged people in Saudi Arabia to stay away from oil facilities, which they said “represent targets for our forces”, as they press a blockade recently imposed against the world’s top oil exporter.
Airport operations reportedly halted
King Khalid International Airport had “closed again”, flight-tracking service “Flightradar24” said on X on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the blasts. It reported that the last landing had been more than 80 minutes earlier and the last takeoff more than 90 minutes earlier.
Fire and ambulance crews were deployed and smoke was visible, the witness said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Departing flights were halted and passengers were told to leave their checked-in luggage behind and evacuate, the witness said. The number of disrupted flights was not immediately clear.
Saudi officials said on Wednesday that attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports claimed by the Houthis had killed three people. These were the first reported deaths since Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces began a major ground and air offensive against the rebels.
The offensive aims to retake territory the Houthis seized a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The rebels’ presence there threatens a key shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has been curtailed amid Iranian attacks on ships.
The attacks in Saudi Arabia drew condemnation from countries including Britain, India and the United Arab Emirates, amid concerns about further escalation.
On Wednesday, the coalition spokesperson said forces had destroyed a platform in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital, Sanaa, that had been used to launch attacks on Riyadh. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the claim.
Turkey and Pakistan consider support for Saudi Arabia
Turkey and Pakistan are assessing possible air defence, electronic warfare and technical assistance for Saudi Arabia under a trilateral agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. He stressed that the arrangement was defensive, not offensive.
“Turkey will not be sending troops into another country’s territory to carry out an attack,” Fidan said, adding that Ankara was seeking to resolve the issue through diplomacy.
Saudi Arabia has sought support from allies, including the United States, in response to Houthi attacks. Pakistan’s Information Ministry said on Thursday that relevant authorities would provide details of any military involvement if necessary.
