Kumar Bahukhandi
Smoke and flames rise following an explosion amid escalating hostilities in the region. Yemen’s Houthis on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, claimed they had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. Photo: AFP
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claims King Khalid International Airport was targeted and flights disrupted; Saudi-led coalition says a ballistic missile was destroyed north of Riyadh
Key Highlights
- Yemen’s Houthis claim a ballistic missile attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Wednesday.
- Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claims the strike disrupted air traffic.
- Flight-tracking data cited by AP indicated flights to and from the airport were briefly disrupted.
- Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile north of Riyadh.
- Houthis also claim attacks on Abha International Airport and Khamis Mushait Air Base.
- The escalation comes amid renewed fighting between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
Yemen’s Houthis on Wednesday claimed to have targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, as the latest escalation in the Yemen conflict spilled further into neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the operation on social media, claiming that the missile had accurately struck its intended target and disrupted air traffic at the Saudi capital’s international airport.
Flight-tracking data cited by the Associated Press indicated that flights to and from King Khalid International Airport were briefly disrupted, although the Houthis did not provide independent evidence establishing that their missile had struck the airport itself.
The Saudi-led coalition offered a different account of the incident. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said Saudi forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh.
The distinction is significant: while the Houthis claimed a successful strike on the airport, the Saudi coalition said the incoming missile was intercepted. There was no independently verified confirmation on Wednesday that a ballistic missile had physically hit King Khalid International Airport.
Houthis Claim Wider Series of Attacks
The Riyadh operation was part of a broader series of attacks claimed by the Houthis against Saudi airports and military installations.
Saree said Houthi forces also targeted Abha International Airport and Khamis Mushait Air Base using ballistic missiles and drones. The group claimed that air traffic at Abha was disrupted and that the military installation sustained damage.
The Houthis separately claimed attacks against military sites in Jizan and Asir.
Aden Airport Also Targeted
The escalation was not confined to Saudi Arabia. Yemen’s Transport Ministry said Aden International Airport was attacked early Wednesday with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones.
According to the ministry, one missile landed close to the runway shortly before a flight arriving from Cairo was scheduled to land, prompting authorities to divert the aircraft to Jeddah. The airport terminal was evacuated and aircraft were moved from the tarmac as a precaution.
The Houthis said their target in Aden was Saudi military supplies near the airport.
Fighting Intensifies in Yemen
The attacks come as fighting intensifies between Houthi forces and Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
Government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition air power, have mounted operations aimed at recovering territory around Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key maritime routes.
The renewed missile and drone exchanges have raised concerns over civilian aviation and the possibility of a broader regional escalation as fighting inside Yemen continues.
