Houthi Missile Strike Hits Riyadh Airport Injuring Dozens

A suspected missile attack hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, injuring dozens of people and disrupting flights, according to BBC and The Guardian reports. Saudi authorities had not confirmed the strike, while witnesses reported an explosion and evacuation efforts at the airport.

Reuters, cited by BBC, reported more than a dozen ambulances were seen arriving at the airport, while AFP cited a local hospital source who said dozens were wounded. The Guardian reported five injured people were in intensive care.

Several airlines canceled or diverted flights to Riyadh as security concerns grew. Kuwait Airways cited the "security situation" when announcing cancellations.

The airport has faced multiple attacks during a renewed escalation between Yemen's Houthi movement and Saudi-backed forces. Previous attacks on Saudi airports on 6 and 7 October killed three people, according to BBC.

Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen have also claimed progress in operations around the Bab al-Mandab strait, while Houthi officials disputed those claims.

Yemen's Houthi movement previously said it had "secured" the strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, according to BBC's report on statements from pro-government forces.

A witness at Riyadh airport described the scene after the blast. "I was on gate 403," the witness told Agence France-Presse.

The witness continued describing the impact at the domestic terminal. "I saw [gate] 401 hit, I saw injured [people] in front of my eyes. Everyone was running," the witness told Agence France-Presse.

A Houthi spokesperson described claimed operations against Saudi-backed forces near Bab al-Mandab. "were targeted with a large number of ballistic missiles, artillery support and heavy weapons, resulting in the destruction of more than 22 armoured vehicles and the killing and wounding of dozens, including a number of commanders," the spokesperson said.

The same Houthi spokesperson also described ambulance movements after the claimed operation. "More than 30 ambulances arrived in Aden to transport the dead and wounded from the Saudi enemy’s mobilisations," the spokesperson said.

Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber gave a different account of the fighting around Bab al-Mandab, disputing Houthi claims about control of the area.

"Blessed Friday and victory for every Yemeni and Arab. Bab al-Mandab has been cleared of the remnants of the Houthi terrorist militia," Mohammed al-Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, said.

The renewed violence follows the breakdown of an informal truce that began in 2022 after years of fighting. The Houthis had announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and increased attacks on airports, oil facilities and Red Sea shipping, according to BBC.