Three Killed in Houthi Missile Strikes on Saudi Airports

Authorities in Saudi Arabia reported that three individuals were killed and dozens injured following coordinated attacks on international airports in the kingdom, signaling a renewed and intensified phase of the civil war in neighboring Yemen.

According to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), two people died and 28 were wounded during an assault on Abha International Airport. In a separate incident at King Khalid International Airport in the capital, Riyadh, one person was killed and eight others sustained injuries. The attacks occurred on October 6 and 7, though GACA did not specify which date corresponded to each location.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that armed forces utilized ballistic missiles and drones against both sites. Saree characterized the attacks as retaliation for what he described as “Saudi aggression,” citing approximately 60 airstrikes and missile launches by Saudi-led forces against Houthi positions in the previous 24 hours.

The casualties included foreign nationals; GACA identified the victims at Abha as two women holding Moroccan and Algerian citizenship, while the fatality at the Riyadh airport was a male resident of Sudanese nationality.

In addition to the strikes on Saudi soil, Saree announced that Houthi forces attacked Aden International Airport in Yemen on Wednesday. Aden serves as a primary international gateway for areas of Yemen outside Houthi control and has been frequently targeted during periods of intense fighting.

The violence represents a sharp escalation in the conflict that resumed recently after a temporary ceasefire brokered in 2022. The war, which pits the Iran-backed Houthis against the Saudi-backed government, has already resulted in hundreds of deaths and displaced more than 200,000 people, according to the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the cross-border attacks and expressed deep concern over the escalating hostilities.

Tensions have been further fueled by strategic territorial shifts. The Houthis recently seized key stretches of the Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping. In response, pro-government Yemeni forces, supported by the Saudi-led coalition, declared an all-out war to reclaim held territories and stated they had “secured” the southern end of the Red Sea waterway.

Following the airport attacks, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition vowed that the actions “will not go unpunished.” The coalition confirmed it had targeted over 80 Houthi military sites across the governorates of Saada, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, and Ma’rib.