Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched wide-ranging strikes across swathes of southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday, as the kingdom announced the partial reopening of Riyadh’s international airport despite repeated attacks by the group.
Alerts warning of possible attacks were activated across the kingdom’s south throughout the day, with the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis saying at least 10 ballistic missiles were intercepted.
Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition fighting the Houthis, has faced a barrage of strikes from the group in recent weeks.
The fighting erupted after a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen’s government fell apart.
“The bombardment has been very heavy since this morning — may God keep us safe. Everything is shaking because of the explosions,” one resident in Khamis Mushait told AFP on Sunday on condition of anonymity.
Further north, Riyadh’s international airport said flights would resume on Sunday after a two-week closure following the Houthi strikes.
However, it remained unclear to what extent the airport was operational.
The Houthi fighters have carried out waves of strikes on the airport, including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.
The group has also targeted oil infrastructure and other sites.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that Riyadh airport was still “unsafe” and a “military target”.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines — as well as staff and travellers — against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces,” he said.
“The Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport.”
Attack warning
As the airport prepared to open, AFP journalists in Riyadh heard three explosions in the early hours of Sunday, with residents receiving alert messages for a “hostile aerial threat” urging them to stay in a safe place.
The warning came as the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had downed a ballistic missile launched by the group towards the capital, as well as two drones in the capital area.
“Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh,” the coalition posted on X.
Later on Sunday morning, the coalition said its forces intercepted a cruise missile fired by the Houthis at the kingdom’s southern city of Khamis Mushait.
Attacks appeared to target areas across the south, with warnings also issued for Abha city along with areas in Taif, Namas and Jazan.
The attacks came after the Houthi fighters said that — in the space of 24 hours — they targeted three Saudi airports, including in Riyadh, energy installations, a pipeline and an air base.
The Saudi civil defence agency said it had also responded to falling debris in the Makkah and Madina regions on Saturday after intercepting two Houthi missiles.
The Houthis denied targeting the cities, the two holiest in Islam, calling the Saudi claim a “huge lie”.
The Houthis also fired at the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the interim seat of the government, saying they targeted a naval base and military camp overseen by Saudi forces.
The flare-up in Yemen, with the Houthis taking control of the entire Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive last month, has further destabilised the region and disrupted oil markets.
The Houthi attacks have impacted Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter of crude, disrupting businesses, airlines and residents.