OMM Redaksiyası
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said two attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 8. A statement issued Friday said three Saudi citizens had been killed and several people injured.
According to a statement posted on the X platform, one attack targeted airport facilities and the other a plane belonging to state-owned airline Saudia. The injuries ranged from minor to serious, and the attacks also caused property damage.
The authority said operations at the airport had resumed and air traffic had returned to normal by 6 p.m. local time.
Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that they had attacked the airport with two cruise missiles. The group also claimed to have targeted the airport in Najran, in the southwest of the country; Saudi officials did not confirm that report. The Houthis also said they had fired ballistic missiles at an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
Previous attacks and impact on flights
Saudi officials had said on Wednesday that three people were killed and about 36 injured in attacks earlier in the week on airports in Riyadh and Abha. According to their statement, one person was killed and eight injured at Riyadh airport. Two people were killed and 28 injured in an attack on facilities at Abha airport.
Yemen’s Ministry of Transport said on Oct. 7 that the Houthis had attacked Aden International Airport with two ballistic missiles and drones carrying explosives. One missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was due to land. The aircraft was diverted to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Two other planes on the runway were moved away because of the threat of further attacks.
Saudi aviation authorities said attacks had also targeted King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport on Oct. 5. Those incidents caused property damage and left three people with minor injuries.
The Houthis have also threatened Saudi oil facilities and urged people working in areas they consider potential targets to stay away. The Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles fired toward Riyadh and Khamis Mushait.
The attacks disrupted air travel. International airlines, including Lufthansa and Air India, suspended flights to Riyadh. Although operations at the capital’s airport have resumed, repeated strikes have raised concerns about the safety and reliability of air links in the region.
Fighting intensifies again in Yemen
The Houthis say they have directed the attacks against Saudi Arabia because it supports government forces in Yemen’s renewed civil war. Riyadh backs the UN-recognized Yemeni government’s campaign to retake areas under Houthi control.
Yemen’s civil war began after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country in 2014. The following year, a Saudi-led coalition intervened to support the internationally recognized government. A ceasefire reached in 2022 brought a period of relative calm, but fighting has intensified again amid a broader regional conflict involving Iran.
The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, while Aden is considered the seat of the internationally recognized government. Last month, the group seized part of the Red Sea coast, including areas near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, an important route for international shipping. The Houthi advance and threats to maritime traffic have drawn Saudi Arabia more deeply into the fighting.
Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia launched a counteroffensive this week to retake areas under Houthi control. The Houthis, meanwhile, have strengthened their positions around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. The UN’s International Organization for Migration estimates that about 200,000 people have been displaced since the fighting resumed.
Saudi Arabia has sought help from regional partners to counter the attacks. Türkiye said it would provide mainly defensive and technical support, including intelligence-sharing and military equipment. Syria is also considering possible assistance, although its government has stressed that rebuilding the country remains a priority.
