Houthi Attacks Target Saudi Airports, Killing Three And Injuring 36 Amid Escalating Yemen Conflict

Three people were killed and 36 others wounded in attacks targeting two international airports in Saudi Arabia, authorities said on Wednesday, after Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for strikes on the facilities as the conflict involving the Iran-backed group and Saudi Arabia continues to intensify. The attacks affected Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh, raising concerns over the security of civilian aviation infrastructure amid the continuing regional tensions. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said in a statement that both airports had been subjected to attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The authority said the attacks were directed at airport facilities but did not itself identify those responsible. The Houthis, however, had earlier claimed responsibility for a series of attacks that included an attempt to strike King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile. The competing statements came as fighting and military activity linked to the long-running Yemen conflict continued to create security risks beyond Yemen’s borders. The human toll was reported at both airports. According to the Saudi civil aviation authority, an Egyptian national and an Algerian national were killed in the attacks at Abha International Airport, while a Sudanese national was killed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

A total of 36 people were wounded. The authorities did not immediately provide a detailed breakdown of the injuries or specify whether all of those wounded were civilians or airport personnel. The deaths of foreign nationals highlight the international nature of the passenger and workforce population using Saudi Arabia’s major airports. The Houthi movement earlier took responsibility for what it described as a series of attacks against Saudi targets. Among the attacks was the reported launch of a ballistic missile toward King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government for years and have previously targeted Saudi territory during the broader conflict.

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Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen’s government and has been a leading member of the coalition backing pro-government forces in the country. The Saudi-led coalition said on X that it had destroyed the ballistic missile launch platform used in the attack on Riyadh. The statement did not provide further details about the location of the launch platform or the circumstances surrounding its destruction. The exchange of attacks and retaliatory military action reflects the wider pattern of escalation associated with the Yemen conflict, in which missile and drone attacks have posed a recurring threat to Saudi territory. Airports and other critical infrastructure have remained particularly sensitive targets because disruption to them can affect civilian movement as well as broader economic activity.

The latest attacks come against the backdrop of a conflict that has had consequences far beyond Yemen’s borders. Saudi Arabia’s involvement in supporting Yemen’s government has repeatedly brought it into direct confrontation with the Houthis, while the movement’s attacks have extended the conflict into neighbouring Saudi territory. The reported strikes on Abha and King Khalid international airports add to those security concerns and underline the continuing vulnerability of transport infrastructure during periods of heightened military tension. With three people confirmed dead and dozens injured, the incidents represent a significant escalation in the immediate risks faced by airport workers, passengers and other people in the vicinity of the targeted facilities.

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