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Yemenupdated 34m ago3 min read

Houthis Strike Riyadh Airport With Ballistic Missile, Damaging Plane and Suspending Flights

Houthis targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with ballistic missiles. Saudi authorities say three people killed and 36 injured at Abha and Riyadh airports.

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Houthis Strike Riyadh Airport With Ballistic Missile, Damaging Plane and Suspending Flights
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Riyadh airport hit

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said they struck Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile, badly damaging a plane and leading some airlines to suspend flights to the capital. Reuters reported that shrapnel from an interception or another projectile left a Saudia Airlines commercial plane heavily damaged after catching fire while parked at a terminal on Thursday, and Reuters said no passengers were believed to have been on the plane at the time but injuries could not be ruled out. Witnesses heard explosions in Riyadh, including a large blast at the King Khalid international airport, and a witness told the Associated Press that fire and ambulance crews were deployed.

The Associated Press said outgoing flights were halted and passengers were instructed to evacuate the airport, while FlightAware data showed hundreds of flights to and from Riyadh were cancelled. The Houthis escalated their campaign of strikes against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, attempting to shut down the kingdom’s airspace and warning workers to stay away from energy plants, which would be targeted.

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Image: @thepeninsulaqatar
Reporting for this sectionThe GuardianAP News

Airline suspensions and claims

Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air and Lufthansa suspended Riyadh flights after the Houthi strike, and the Indian Express said the suspensions followed Reuters reporting of a heavily damaged Saudia Airlines plane. Reuters said video verified by Reuters showed thick black smoke and flames rising from the airport, and the Indian Express said the Houthis carried out three separate attacks on the airport on Thursday. The Houthis warned aviation companies to avoid using Saudi airspace, and the Associated Press said the rebels also warned people in Saudi Arabia to stay away from oil facilities that “represent targets for our forces”.

Saudi officials said debris from an intercepted missile hit a kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh, and the Associated Press said Saudi civil defense authorities reported debris damage with no mention of any casualties. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said three people were killed and 36 were injured in attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Associated Press said the new blasts came a day after those deaths were announced.

Image from Aajil
Image: Aajil
Reporting for this sectionThe Indian ExpressAP News

Regional fallout and Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles heading in the direction of Riyadh and one missile in the direction of Khamis Mushait, and Al Jazeera said Saudi civil defence reported material damage to a kindergarten and medical clinic complex in Riyadh. The coalition said it retaliated by striking 82 “legitimate military targets”, including missile facilities, command centres, communications systems and Houthi gathering sites, and AFP said the Houthis later claimed another attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday. The Houthis’ military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched a ballistic missile towards King Khalid International Airport on Thursday afternoon, claiming the missile had successfully hit its intended target and caused damage and disrupted air traffic.

The Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi called for a deterrent stance against Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and Anadolu Ajansı quoted him saying the attacks “constitutes a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international laws and norms.” AFP said Yemen’s civil war reignited in July and that more than 200,000 people have been displaced within the country, while Al Jazeera said more than 200,000 people had been displaced since fighting escalated in recent weeks and cited IOM data showing 76,000 displaced in mid-September.

Reporting for this sectionAFPAnadolu Ajansı