Riyadh/Sanaa: King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, has partially reopened amid escalating attacks between Yemen’s Houthi group and the Saudi-led coalition. The Houthis have warned airlines and travellers against using the airport, describing it as unsafe.
Airport operations were suspended following a series of Houthi attacks that reportedly caused multiple deaths and injuries. The partial reopening comes as both sides continue to report missile and drone strikes.
Houthis Claim Missile Attacks, Warn Against Airport Use
On Sunday, the Houthi group said it had launched dozens of ballistic missiles in three attacks against Saudi Arabia. According to the group, the first strike targeted King Khalid International Airport and “successfully achieved its objective”.
The other attacks targeted King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and a Saudi Border Guard naval base in Jazan, Xinhua news agency reported.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea renewed his warning to airlines, airport employees and travellers against using King Khalid International Airport. He also cautioned against using Saudi airspace, while excluding the airspace over Mecca and Medina.
Separately, the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency quoted a military source as warning workers and civilians to stay away from Saudi oil facilities. The source also warned Saudi Aramco shareholders of potential losses if they continued to hold shares in the company.
Saudi Coalition Reports Intercepting Missiles and Drones
The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday that it had intercepted and destroyed 12 missiles and two drones launched towards the kingdom. The reported interceptions included a ballistic missile and two drones targeting the Riyadh region.
Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defence said a Saudi citizen and an Asian resident were injured after debris from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell in Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah governorates.
The falling debris also damaged three residential buildings and seven vehicles, according to the directorate.
The Houthis said their latest attacks were in response to what they described as “Saudi aggression” against Sanaa and other areas under their control a day earlier. The group claimed those strikes left dozens of people dead or wounded, including women and children.
Sarea also alleged that Saudi forces had carried out 56 air and missile strikes over the previous 24 hours. He said the attacks targeted what he described as civilian sites in the provinces of Hajjah, Lahj, Amran, Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Ibb.
Explosions Reported in Yemen’s Port City of Aden
Meanwhile, loud explosions were heard in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden later on Sunday, according to a local security official who spoke to Xinhua.
The explosions were concentrated around the Salah al-Din area of Al-Buraiqa district, a strategically important location that hosts key military bases belonging to government forces and the Saudi-led coalition.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Houthi group had not commented on the reported explosions at the time of the report.
The latest developments come amid a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition. Ground fighting has intensified alongside Saudi-led airstrikes on Houthi-held areas and Houthi missile and drone attacks on territory held by government forces.
Arab League Reaffirms Support for Saudi Arabia
Amid the escalating tensions, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo on Sunday.
During the meeting, Fahmy said the Arab League rejected attacks on Arab countries and reaffirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, including its right to defend its security and sovereignty.
Yemen has been caught in a prolonged conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognised Yemeni government.