Yemen’s Houthis have claimed a direct missile strike on Riyadh’s main international airport as part of a large-scale barrage targeting airports, military bases, and oil infrastructure across Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Monday night that the group, officially known as Ansar Allah, carried out three operations using “a large number” of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones in response to intensified Saudi-backed strikes on Yemen.
The first attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and achieved a “direct and precise hit,” Saree claimed, saying air traffic was disrupted. The second targeted Saudi Aramco’s refinery in Rabigh, where the group claimed a direct hit started fires. The third operation reportedly targeted Abha Airport, Khamis Mushait air base, the Aqeefah military camp, and other “sensitive sites” in Najran and Jizan.
The Saudi authorities have not addressed the specific claims of direct hits on the airport and refinery or said whether Houthi strikes caused disruption at King Khalid. The Foreign Ministry issued a broader statement condemning continued Houthi attacks on Riyadh and several other Saudi cities and “civilian and economic facilities,” while reiterating the kingdom’s right to respond.
Loud explosions were reportedly heard in northern Riyadh near King Khalid airport. An AFP journalist reported hearing a “powerful explosion,” and residents said blasts shook windows in the area.
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Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry has renewed a warning that photographing, publishing, or circulating information about missile and drone interception operations or impact sites could result in legal action. The same warning was issued earlier in the war. Saudi media republished it shortly after midnight amid the latest attacks.
The Houthis warned international airlines against using Saudi airspace, declaring it a theater of military operations, while exempting the airspace over Mecca and Medina. King Khalid airport remains operational, but Flightradar24 data shows substantial delays, with average delays reaching 38 minutes.
The group said the barrage was retaliation for 60 Saudi air and missile strikes on Sanaa and the provinces of Al-Jawf, Taiz, Hodeidah, Saada, and Marib over the previous 24 hours, which it said caused civilian casualties. Saree claimed that Saudi forces conducted 1,576 strikes since the latest escalation began.
