Three Killed and 36 Injured in Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports
Casualties at Saudi Airports
Three civilians were killed and 36 others injured in Houthi-claimed attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. [1] A Moroccan woman and an Algerian woman were killed at Abha airport, where 28 people were injured. [5] At King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, a Sudanese man was killed and eight others were injured, including five Saudi citizens. [1] The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the attacks took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. [4] GACA said it is working in full integration and continuous coordination with the relevant security authorities to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and workers. [1] New cage-like fences have been erected this week around fuel tanks and other equipment of the Saudi state-run Aramco oil company near the Riyadh airport. [1] On September 18, Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted and destroyed a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired towards the airport in Riyadh from Yemen. [1] A day later, on September 19, at least one explosion was heard near the airport in Riyadh, and a large plume of black smoke was seen rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport. [1]
Houthi Claims and Retaliation
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones. [2] Saree stated that the attacks on the Saudi airports used ballistic missiles and drones in response to Saudi aggression against the country, which saw 60 airstrikes and missile attacks in the past 24 hours. [4] The Houthis also struck Aden airport in Yemen with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones earlier on Wednesday. [2] One missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land, according to Yemen’s Transport Ministry. [2] No casualties were reported at Aden airport. [1] The airport is the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control. [4]
Saudi Coalition Response
The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a launch platform in Sanaa. [1] The coalition said it had attacked more than 80 Houthi military sites across the governorates of Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib. [2] The official spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis' attacks on Saudi Arabia's airports will not go unpunished. [4] The coalition vowed retaliation after the strikes on the airports. [2] It said it was tracking the launch platform over Houthi-controlled Sanaa and would destroy it. [2]
Escalation in Yemen Fighting
The airport attacks coincide with intensified fighting near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where Saudi-backed Yemeni forces are attempting to retake territory from the Houthis. [2] Yemeni government forces with Saudi-led coalition air support launched a counteroffensive to recapture strategic territory near the strait and around the town of Mocha that the Houthis had captured in September. [2] Saudi-backed Yemeni forces from the country’s internationally recognised government are locked in escalating combat with Iran-aligned Houthi forces who seized a broad swathe of territory astride the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. [1] The Houthis, who control most of the country's north-west, seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive that included the port of Mokha on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. [4] Yemeni pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia have since said they had secured the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. [4] They also declared an all out war in an effort to take all territory held by the Houthis. [4] The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to intervene. [2]
Humanitarian Impact
The escalation has displaced more than 200,000 people according to the International Organization for Migration. [2] The number of people displaced since the latest round of fighting began has risen to more than 200,000, the IOM said on Wednesday. [2] People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go, said IOM Director General Amy Pope, who called for more funding amid rising needs for food and shelter. [2] The UN says three in four families are going hungry in parts of Yemen. [2] Both sides allege that hundreds of people have been killed in fighting, without providing details. [2] A temporary ceasefire was brokered in 2022 after years of air strikes and ground fighting led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. [4]
International Reactions
Jordan condemned the attacks as a violation of Saudi sovereignty, international law and the UN Charter, expressing full solidarity with Riyadh. [3] Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs said the attacks targeted civilian and economic infrastructure and constituted a breach of international law and the UN Charter. [3] Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Fouad Al-Majali reaffirmed Amman’s absolute solidarity with Saudi Arabia and said Jordan supports measures taken by Riyadh to protect its security, stability, national assets and the safety of citizens and residents. [3] The United States embassy in Riyadh has issued another security alert for Americans in Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing security situation, reminding all US citizens to exercise heightened vigilance. [1] Turkey is sending mainly defensive and technical support after the NATO member and Pakistan pledged to implement a collective defence commitment under their newly formed alliance. [2] Syria is carefully considering providing military assistance to ally Saudi Arabia amid the escalating war against the Houthis. [2] Options being considered include defensive aid to protect the kingdom from attacks, or deployment of forces in an offensive capacity to help Saudi-backed Yemeni troops fight the Houthis. [2]
What to watch next: Fighting on the western front remains concentrated in the Dhubab district overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, with pro-government forces attempting an advance in the strategic hills to the east of that coastal plain.
