The leader of Yemen's Houthis warned Saudi Arabia to prepare for a protracted conflict. They claimed new missile strikes on airports. The attacks disrupted air traffic, and several carriers suspended flights to Riyadh. Saudi authorities previously reported three dead in the strikes on airports, Reuters reports. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The Houthis said they hit King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital with a ballistic missile. Witnesses reported explosions. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted two missiles heading toward Riyadh and another toward the city of Khamis Mushait.
According to Reuters sources, a Saudia airline plane caught fire and sustained serious damage at the airport. The cause could have been debris after interception or another projectile. According to preliminary information from the agency's interlocutors, there were no passengers on board.
Saudi aviation authorities reported that previous attacks on the airports of Riyadh and Abha killed three people and injured 36 others.
In Abha, citizens of Morocco and Algeria were killed, and 28 people were injured. At the Saudi capital's airport, a Sudanese citizen was killed, and eight others were injured.
Amid the attacks, Lufthansa and Air India suspended flights to Riyadh. According to Cirium, by 15:00 GMT on October 8, almost half of departures from the Saudi capital's airport were canceled. Passengers were advised to check flight status with the carrier before traveling.
The Houthis also warned airlines about the danger of using Saudi airspace and threatened new strikes on oil facilities. Later, the group claimed attacks on the airports of Riyadh and Najran. AP could not independently confirm the results of these strikes.
The Houthis explain the strikes by Saudi Arabia's support for Yemen's internationally recognized government. Saudi and allied Yemeni forces are trying to retake territories on the Red Sea coast and near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait previously seized by the group.
The escalation creates additional risks for shipping: the strait remains an important route for global trade, especially amid restrictions on movement through the Strait of Hormuz.