Three people lost their lives and thirty six others suffered injuries after Houthi forces launched attacks on Saudi airports, according to the country’s civil aviation authorities. The violence comes as fighting grows stronger across Yemen between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces.
One person died and eight were wounded in the strike on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Two more people were killed and twenty eight were injured when facilities at Abha airport came under attack. Officials confirmed the incidents took place over Tuesday and Wednesday but did not specify which attack happened on which day.
The same day, Yemen’s Houthis also fired ballistic missiles and explosive drones at Aden’s international airport. One missile landed close to the runway just minutes before a flight from Cairo was scheduled to arrive. Aden serves as the main international gateway for areas of Yemen that remain outside Houthi control.
Battles have intensified around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Saudi-backed forces, supported by coalition air power, have launched a counteroffensive to retake strategic ground near the strait and around the town of Mocha that the Houthis captured in September.
The renewed fighting has forced more than two hundred thousand people from their homes, the International Organisation for Migration reported. Many families now struggle to find safe shelter while hunger continues to spread. Three out of every four families in some parts of Yemen already face severe food shortages.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted airports, oil sites and other infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile north of Riyadh. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had sent several drones against King Khalid International Airport.
Any Houthi control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could disrupt global shipping and energy supplies. Saudi Arabia continues to seek international support while the long-running conflict deepens the humanitarian emergency across Yemen.
