Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport killed three Saudis as war escalates

On October 9, attacks on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia resulted in three fatalities, according to Saudi authorities, as the Houthi group intensified missile strikes on the kingdom. The assaults, which also caused injuries and damaged a Saudia Airlines plane, led to smoke billowing over the airport and prompted several airlines to cancel flights to the Saudi capital.

This occurred just days before the city was set to host a significant meeting of global oil chiefs. In response, Saudi airstrikes targeted Houthi targets in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, while a Saudi-led coalition claimed to have destroyed three missile launch platforms used by the Houthis, warning of a firm response to attacks on civilians.

The Houthi group, allied with Iran, has been escalating the war by encircling Yemeni government forces in Yemen's third-largest city, Taiz, and defending positions on the Red Sea coast against a Saudi-backed offensive. The group had already killed three people with strikes on airports earlier in the week. The Saudi civil aviation authority reported that air traffic at Riyadh airport resumed to normal, with some Middle Eastern airlines resuming flights.

Saudia Airlines confirmed that one of those killed was an employee. The ongoing conflict is a critical component of a broader regional conflict sparked by the US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, with the Houthis targeting shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from Pakistan and Turkey, partners in a mutual defense pact, and urged allies to help counter the Houthi advances.