Plane damaged at Riyadh airport as Houthis escalate attacks

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a recent attack on King Khalid airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and threatened to target all oil facilities across the nation. Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree stated that the group launched a ballistic missile at the Saudi capital, disrupting air traffic. Multiple loud explosions were heard in Riyadh earlier on Thursday, according to a local resident.

Debris from intercepted missiles fell on a terminal at the Riyadh airport, reported a Saudi source. A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia confirmed it had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis, one heading towards Khamis Mushait in the southwestern region of the country.

These attacks followed a series of Houthi assaults on Saudi airports, resulting in three fatalities, according to the Saudi government. Saree reaffirmed his warning to airlines to cease flights to Saudi Arabia, stating that the country's airspace is now a battleground for military operations. The exception, he noted, is the airspace over the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. Additionally, Saree cautioned workers at all Saudi oil facilities against being present in areas targeted by the armed group.