Houthi militia fires rocket at Riyadh airport as Saudi forces claim interceptions
The Houthi rebels said they struck Riyadh’s King Khalid airport with a rocket, while Saudi officials reported intercepting missiles over the capital and in the southwest and noted air raids in Saada province.
The Houthi militia announced that a rocket was launched at King Khalid airport in Riyadh during the early hours of Tuesday, according to its broadcaster al-Masirah. Saudi defense officials responded that they intercepted missiles aimed at Riyadh and the southwestern town of Chamis Muschait, and they conducted three air raids in Saada province, a key Houthi base. This follows a major assault on Saturday that resulted in 13 fatalities and roughly 300 injuries at the same airport, raising the total number of deaths in the past week to 18.
In reaction, multiple airlines have suspended service to Riyadh pending further security assessments. The ongoing exchange underscores the heightened intensity of the Yemen-Saudi conflict.
Why it matters
The renewed Houthi-Saudi exchanges raise civilian risks and could destabilize the broader Middle-East region.
How this story developed
- Oct 5 Yemeni government troops capture key positions on Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Oct 11 Saudi authorities extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport.
- Oct 11 The strike on the Riyadh passenger terminal sparked a fire and prompted air-defence interception of a missile nearby. The Houthi movement said the attack responded to Saudi aggression, including a recent strike on Sanaa airport. The incident follows a larger assault the previous day that injured over 300 people and disrupted travel, prompting foreign executives to withdraw from the World Petroleum Congress. Saudi authorities assure heightened security for the upcoming World Petroleum Congress and the Future Investment Initiative.
- Oct 11 He also named King Fahd Airport in Dammam, an Aramco‑affiliated petrol station and a refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region as targets.
- Oct 11 A second projectile hit the airport a day after the missile strike, raising the death toll to 13.
- Oct 12 A Pakistani national died in the latest projectile strike.
- Oct 12 The Omani embassy thanked Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to an injured Omani doctor.
- Oct 12 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey demanded an immediate and unconditional halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Oct 12 Saudi officials announced the continued closure of King Khalid International Airport pending safety inspections.
- Oct 12 Saudi authorities have extended the shutdown of King Khalid International Airport until Saturday after renewed Houthi missile and drone strikes, prompting airlines to cancel flights to and from Riyadh.
- Oct 12 Airport shutdown extended to Oct 17 for safety checks.
- Oct 13 Delta postponed its inaugural Atlanta‑Riyadh flight.
- Oct 13 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported hitting a supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oct 13 Saudi civil defence alerts stopped operating before the attacks, leaving no public warnings.
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