Houthis attack Riyadh airport for third consecutive day; coalition says it made a “successful interception”

[Financial News] Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who have continued their offensive against Saudi Arabia, once again fired a ballistic missile toward the international airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on the evening of the 12th (local time). The missile was intercepted by the coalition.
Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition and the Saudi Ministry of Defense, announced on social media platform X that “the ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh by the terrorist group, the Houthi militia, was successfully intercepted and destroyed.”
Earlier, Saudi authorities sent residents early-warning messages, saying a potential hostile threat could target Riyadh.  
Witnesses later reported hearing three explosions in Riyadh, believed to be the sound of ballistic missiles being intercepted. A Korean resident there said, “Bang, bang, bang—I heard three explosions. It looks like the Saudi military intercepted the missile.”
The Houthi rebels also confirmed the ballistic missile attack targeting Riyadh International Airport and reiterated their warning to stop using airports across Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed in a statement that “our armed forces precisely struck King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile this evening.”
He went on to stress that “no airport in Saudi Arabia is safe, except for the airports and airspace of Mecca and Medina, Islam’s holy sites,” and reiterated his warning that “all international airlines, as well as experts, employees, workers and travelers from every country, should avoid flying to or using Saudi airports.”
He added, “Separately, our forces carried out a military operation using drones targeting the Saudi air base in Khamis Mushait, and, by God’s grace, the strike was direct.”


The Houthi rebels have recently continued their daily attacks targeting international airports in Riyadh and elsewhere, as well as oil facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia.
In particular, on the 10th, they carried out missile and drone attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killing 14 people and injuring around 300.
In the subsequent attack on the 11th, one person was killed and around 10 were injured.
Foreign media reported that King Khalid Airport, Riyadh’s gateway, would be closed until the 17th as a result of the Houthi rebels’ attacks.
The Houthi rebels are focusing their attacks on Riyadh as Saudi Arabia hosts the World Petroleum Congress (WPC Energy Congress), inviting energy officials from various countries and representatives of global energy companies.
The conference was originally scheduled to take place last April but was postponed because of the war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. Saudi Arabia has now gone ahead with hosting it despite the armed conflict with the Houthis.
However, the Houthis’ continued attacks have disrupted the event, with key speakers, including energy company CEOs, staying away.  


[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, International Affairs Correspondent Reporter