Loader
Advertisement

Breaking news. Houthis claim missile strike on Riyadh airport as explosions heard in Saudi capital

FILE: Houthi supporters chant slogans while riding in the back of a pickup truck at an armed tribal rally in Sanaa, 7 October 2026
FILE: Houthi supporters chant slogans while riding in the back of a pickup truck at an armed tribal rally in Sanaa, 7 October 2026 -  Copyright  AP Photo
Copyright AP Photo
By Aleksandar Brezar
Published on •Updated
Share Comments Add Euronews on Google
Share Close Button

The claim came as witnesses reported several explosions across the Saudi capital, a day after a separate Houthi drone attack on the same airport killed one person and caused flight delays that continued into Thursday.

Yemen's Houthis said on Thursday they targeted King ​Khalid ​International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh with a ballistic missile.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

There was no immediate confirmation of the strike or any damage or casualties from Saudi Arabia at this time.

Several explosions echoed across Riyadh on Thursday, according to witnesses.

Diplomats were instructed to shelter in place in their respective embassies, as witnesses said international schools were also taking precautions.

An earlier drone attack on the same airport killed one person, with another two killed in a separate strike on the airport in the southwestern city of Abha, Riyadh said on Thursday, as flight delays continued into the second day.

The attack on Abha airport killed Moroccan and Algerian residents and wounded 28 other people, while the attack on King Khalid airport killed a Sudanese national and wounded eight other people, officials said.

The Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation did not blame any party for the attacks at the two international airports.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, Major General Turki al-Malki, said forces intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a platform in Yemen’s capital of San'aa that had been used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital.

The group formally known as Ansar Allah has claimed repeated attacks targeting Saudi airports in recent days, along with salvos aimed at critical infrastructure and military sites across the kingdom.

Strikes on Saudi facilities pose a threat to crucial shipping alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has been curtailed due to the Iran war.

Houthi strikes have further escalated as Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces launched a major ground and air offensive aimed at retaking territory that the group seized a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and on the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

On Monday, officials said forces of the Saudi-led coalition recaptured several key areas around the strait, through which about 12% of global trade transits.

“The Houthis believe that they can maximise Saudi economic costs and compel Saudi Arabia to surrender to Houthi demands by striking civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities and airports,” the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War think tank wrote in an analysis.

This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.

Additional sources • AFP, AP

Go to accessibility shortcuts
Share Comments Add Euronews on Google

Read more

Saudi coalition says it intercepted Houthi drones and missiles bound for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia reports fresh Houthi attacks as France offers military support to protect Yanbu

Crowds celebrate Saudi National Day with flags, performances and military parade