Explosions Hit Riyadh as Houthis Attack Saudi Airports Killing Three
Explosions were heard in Riyadh on Thursday after Houthi attacks on Saudi airports that killed three people and prompted flight suspensions by Lufthansa and Air India.
Explosions Rock Riyadh After Houthi Airport Strikes
Blasts echoed across Riyadh on Thursday after Houthi missile strikes targeted Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport. [1] An Egyptian national and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, while a Sudanese national was killed at Riyadh airport. [1] The attacks wounded 36 people, according to the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation. [1] Diplomats stationed in the Saudi capital were instructed to shelter in place in their respective embassies. [1] International schools took safety precautions, with at least one facility sending children into a basement for safety. [1] Several residents said companies in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District were evacuating staff from the area or telling them to work from home. [4] The explosions came hours after the Houthis claimed their latest attack on the kingdom and repeated a warning to airlines to avoid Saudi airspace. [1] The measures followed loud booms that were among the loudest disturbances in the capital since the start of the Middle East war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. [1] According to the Saudi Civil Defense Directorate, shrapnel fallout from a missile interception caused damage to a children’s nursery and a medical clinic in Riyadh. [4]
Airlines Suspend Riyadh Flights
Lufthansa and Air India suspended flights to Riyadh after the Houthi attacks. [2] Flight tracker FlightRadar24 indicated numerous delayed arrivals and departures at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday. [4] The Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh airport and repeated a threat to force Saudi airspace to close. [4] The Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed that Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport were subjected to attacks targeting their facilities on Tuesday and Wednesday. [1] Some schools in Riyadh told parents there were orders to shelter in place, though authorities did not issue a public alert. [4] Reuters could not identify the source of the booms heard in the city. [4]
Explosions from Houthi missile strikes hit Riyadh airport areas, killing three people. — Source: jerusalempost
Syria Weighs Troop Deployment to Aid Saudi Arabia
Syria is considering military support for Saudi Arabia, US and Syrian officials said, as Riyadh pushed allied nations for help, including Turkey and Pakistan. [1] Syria might deploy troops to help Saudi Arabia fight the Houthis, a US official and a Syrian defense official said. [1] The possible entry of Syrian forces into the battle shows how Yemen’s reignited civil war has added new chaos to a region already aflame and risks drawing regional states into grueling mountain fighting. [1] Saudi Arabia has pushed for support from allied nations, including Turkey and Pakistan, even if only in a logistical or purely defensive capacity. [1] Syria was carefully considering military support, including the option of defensive aid to protect Saudi Arabia from attacks or deployment in an offensive capacity to help Saudi-backed Yemeni troops take the fight to the Houthis, the US and Syrian officials said. [1] In response to a request for comment to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a diplomat said the country stood firmly with Saudi Arabia in the face of Houthi attacks, but that the government’s primary focus was on domestic priorities such as recovery from the country’s civil war. [1] The diplomat added that should Saudi Arabia request any military cooperation or exchange of expertise, this would take place exclusively through official channels and within the framework of the bilateral agreements governing relations between the two countries. [1] Saudi Arabia this summer agreed to the Mecca Pact with Turkey and Pakistan, committing all three to come to each other’s defense, though Ankara has yet to ratify the treaty. [4] NATO-member Turkey said on Wednesday it was sending mainly defensive and technical support to the kingdom to help in the fight against the Houthis, expected to take the form of military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems. [4] Pakistan has flown military equipment to Aden in southern Yemen to help in the battle against the Houthis and has deployed troops within Saudi Arabia to help defend its borders. [4]
Reignited Civil War in Yemen
Yemen’s long-running civil war, which paused with a ceasefire in 2022, has erupted again in the past few weeks with the Houthis seizing stretches of the Red Sea coast last month, including along the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait. [1] The Houthis have said they were responding to attacks from the Saudi-backed government, which the government denies. [1] Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces have struggled to contain the Houthis’ advance, despite a counteroffensive aimed at recapturing territory including the area around a waterway that is crucial to global energy flows. [1] On Wednesday in Yemen, clashes left at least 62 combatants dead, including 37 Houthis, military sources from both camps said. [1] The fighting has displaced 200,000 people since the conflict resumed. [4] The Houthis, who control many of Yemen’s most populous areas, including the capital Sanaa, have made gains of their own, surrounding Yemen’s third-largest city, Taiz, by taking territory along its main mountain road to Aden. [4] Saudi-backed forces launched a counterattack this week, taking back areas around the strait. [4] The Houthis have launched a wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia since they began a major offensive in Yemen against the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government there. [1]
Regional Fallout From US-Iran Conflict
The conflict is now an overspill of the US-Iran war and has added new chaos to a region already aflame. [4] The fighting threatens to draw other states into grueling mountain fighting, with Syria now considering deploying troops to assist Saudi Arabia. [4] Their threats to shipping along a waterway that has become ever more critical for Gulf oil exports since Iran’s attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, and their attacks on Saudi cities and infrastructure, have drawn the kingdom back in. [4] The number of vessels transiting Hormuz fell to its lowest level in more than two months, as attacks on tankers hit new highs. [5]
What to watch next: Syria stands firmly with Saudi Arabia but its focus remains on domestic priorities such as recovery from its own civil war, with any military cooperation to occur exclusively through official channels.
