Houthi Strikes Kill 13 at Riyadh Airport as Saudi Coalition Intercepts Three Drones
Deadly Houthi Attacks on Riyadh Airport
Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people, wounded hundreds and prompted Saudi Arabia to extend the airport shutdown until at least Thursday while the Saudi-led coalition intercepted three more drones north of the capital. [2] Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged that Islamabad would cooperate with Riyadh in every possible way under their defence agreements after the deadly strikes. [2] A second Houthi attack on Sunday killed a Pakistani national and injured 11 others. [2] The Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted and destroyed three drones north of Riyadh and ordered the evacuation of a Yemeni oil-company facility in Sanaa ahead of a planned operation there. [3] Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of overnight airstrikes on Yemen’s northern border, western coastline, Red Sea island of Kamaran and Qanawis district, and claimed to have shot down a Saudi drone over Saada province. [3] Turkey’s President Erdogan told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Turkey stands by Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned the Houthi attacks. [3] Several Arab airlines including Bahrain’s Gulf Air suspended flights to and from Riyadh; terminals 3 and 4 at King Khalid International Airport suffered significant damage. [5]
Saudi Airport Shutdown Extended
Saudi Arabia on Monday extended the suspension of operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport following deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement in recent days, without specifying when services would resume. [5] An aviation source said the shutdown would remain in place until at least Thursday. [5] The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement that the suspension had been extended to allow the necessary checks to be completed to verify the safety of airport facilities and their operational readiness. [5] A senior aviation industry source overseeing flights to the Gulf region said the airport would remain closed until the end of the Saudi working week, according to messages sent to the source’s company on Monday. [5] The source added that terminals 3 and 4 had suffered significant damage. [5] A senior official at Riyadh’s metro network said the authorities had decided to suspend train services to the three stations serving the airport. [5] Several Arab airlines have announced the suspension or cancellation of flights to and from King Khalid International Airport. [5] Bahrain’s Gulf Air said on Monday that it had cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until Saturday. [5] In a statement, the airline said flights to and from Riyadh had been cancelled from 12 October until midnight on 17 October. [5]
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledges defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia after Houthi airport attack. — Source: scmp
Drone Interceptions and Planned Saudi Operations
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday that its forces had intercepted three drones north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. [3] “Interception and destruction of 3 drones north of Riyadh city,” Major General Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokesperson, wrote on X, AFP reported. [3] Separately, the coalition’s spokesperson ordered the evacuation of a facility belonging to a Yemeni oil company in Sanaa ahead of a planned military operation in the Yemeni capital. [3] Saudi-led coalition says 3 drones intercepted, destroyed north of Riyadh. [4] Coalition announces latest interceptions amid continuing regional escalation. [4]
Houthi Accusations of Saudi Airstrikes
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out overnight airstrikes along Yemen’s northern border with the kingdom and on its western coastline. [3] Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to the allegation. [3] The claims came hours after air raid sirens sounded and explosions were heard in the Saudi capital. [3] The Houthi-run al-Masirah television channel reported on Tuesday that two airstrikes had hit the Houthi-held Red Sea island of Kamaran, while a third struck Qanawis district, about 55 kilometres northwest of the port city of Hodeidah. [3] The channel also reported airstrikes in Al Jawf province, which borders Saudi Arabia, and blamed Riyadh for the strikes without providing further details. [3] The Houthis also claimed to have shot down a Saudi drone over Saada province, a rebel stronghold in northern Yemen bordering Saudi Arabia. [3] Yemen’s Houthis warned Saudi Arabia against targeting Sanaa shortly after the Saudi-led coalition announced that it would conduct an operation in the city. [3] “The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the Saudi enemy that any targeting of the capital, Sanaa, will be met with a tough and painful response in the enemy’s capital of Riyadh,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree wrote on X, according to AFP. [3]
Saudi coalition intercepts three drones north of Riyadh amid Houthi attacks on airport. — Source: hindustantimes
Regional Support Pledges for Saudi Arabia
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Islamabad would cooperate with Riyadh “in every possible way” under their defence agreements, after Houthi strikes on the Saudi capital’s main airport the previous day killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds. [2] A further attack on Sunday killed a Pakistani national and injured 11 others, Saudi authorities said. [2] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call on Tuesday that Turkey would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants, the Turkish presidency said, according to Reuters. [3] In a statement, the presidency said Erdogan had strongly condemned the Houthi attacks and told the crown prince that he believed “this challenge will be overcome”. [3]
Context of Escalation
To understand the deadly Houthi attacks on Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, one must look beyond Yemen to the Islamic Republic's broader strategic calculations and what experts call its "vengeful politics." [1] Deadly Houthi strikes on Saudi airports mirror Tehran's aviation threats, experts say. [1] Chinese-Pakistani fighter jets and a China-made air-defence system reportedly deployed to Saudi Arabia could be brought into action following Pakistan’s renewed pledge to defend the kingdom after deadly Houthi attacks on Riyadh. [2] Fighting has escalated between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, who have been attacking Saudi airports and oil facilities since last week in a spillover from the wider regional conflagration between the US and Iran. [3]
What to watch next: The Saudi-led coalition has announced a planned military operation in Sanaa after ordering the evacuation of a Yemeni oil-company facility there, while Houthi warnings of a tough response to any targeting of the Yemeni capital remain in place.
