RIYADH — Chaos gripped the Saudi Arabian capital on Thursday morning as witnesses reported a series of loud explosions echoing across Riyadh, hours after Houthi rebels claimed to have launched a ballistic missile attack on the King Khalid International Airport.
The strike, which occurred as the kingdom struggles to maintain air traffic amid a surge of hostilities, marks a dramatic escalation in the regional conflict. While the Houthi movement—formally known as Ansar Allah—claimed responsibility for targeting the facility, there has been no immediate official confirmation from Saudi authorities regarding the extent of potential damage or casualties specifically related to this latest ballistic missile attempt.
The morning’s unrest follows a devastating 24-hour period for Saudi civil aviation. Earlier on Thursday, officials confirmed a pair of deadly strikes on the kingdom’s transport hubs. A drone attack on the same Riyadh airport resulted in the death of a Sudanese national and left eight others wounded. Simultaneously, a separate strike on the airport in the southwestern city of Abha claimed the lives of two residents, one Moroccan and one Algerian, and left 28 people injured.
In response to the escalating security threat, diplomatic missions across Riyadh issued urgent alerts, instructing staff and citizens to shelter in place. International schools in the capital were reported to be enacting emergency lockdown procedures as a precaution.
Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, stated that military forces successfully intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh. He further noted that the coalition had launched a retaliatory strike, destroying a launch platform in Yemen’s capital, San’aa, which had been utilized for the assault on the Saudi capital.
The surge in attacks comes as Saudi-led forces engage in a major ground and air offensive to reclaim territory lost to the Houthis last month along the Red Sea coast. Control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, through which approximately 12% of global trade flows, remains the primary objective. On Monday, the coalition reported significant progress in recapturing key areas surrounding the waterway, which has become a flashpoint as international shipping seeks alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz amidst the ongoing Iran war.
Analysts suggest the Houthi strategy is a calculated attempt to exert leverage on the kingdom. “The Houthis believe that they can maximize Saudi economic costs and compel Saudi Arabia to surrender to their demands by striking civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities and airports,” the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War noted in a recent briefing.
As flights continue to face delays for a second consecutive day, the risk to regional stability remains high. The Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation has yet to issue a definitive assessment on the security of the nation’s flight corridors.
This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.
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