Riyadh reopens airport amid fresh attacks
“Three explosions were heard in Riyadh late on Sunday as Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles and drones targeting its capital and southern regions, while Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis renewed threats agai…”
The blasts echoed across the Saudi capital after residents received emergency alerts warning of a "hostile aerial threat", an AFP journalist reported. Saudi civil defence also issued alerts for the southern cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, before announcing that the danger had passed.
The Saudi-led coalition said two drones and a ballistic missile had been launched towards Riyadh, while a cruise missile targeted Khamis Mushait. It later reported intercepting 10 ballistic missiles fired towards southern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi civil defence said shrapnel from the interception of two ballistic missiles over Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah injured two people and damaged residential buildings and vehicles. The attacks came as King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh partially resumed operations at two terminals on Sunday.
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The airport had suspended operations on October 10 following an attack claimed by the Houthis that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. The airport said late on Saturday that Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights, while Terminal 2 would serve international flights operated by national carriers.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned that the airport would "never be safe", describing it as a "military target" and urging airlines, airport staff and travellers to stay away. The group also claimed to have attacked the airport and Saudi oil facilities on Saturday.
The Saudi-led coalition said earlier this month that the Houthis had carried out 20 attacks on the airport between October 1 and 11. The renewed fighting has also shattered a United Nations-brokered truce that had largely held since 2022.
The escalation has added to regional instability amid the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, placing Saudi Arabia, a US ally, under increasing pressure. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he had ruled out striking Iran that day.
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