Houthi Riyadh airport hit shows Saudi air defenses full of holes

Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, using a combination of suicide drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. According to Asia Times, the assault began around 3 PM local time on October 10 and lasted approximately 45 minutes, with drones launched first, followed by cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

The Daily Post Nigeria reported that a projectile struck the airport, causing a fire in a passenger terminal and resulting in injuries. This incident marks the second attack on the airport in two days, following a Saturday strike that reportedly killed 12 people and wounded more than 300.

Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed the group also targeted oil installations and Dammam Airport, vowing to continue escalating operations inside Saudi Arabia. Saree warned that airports throughout the kingdom could be targeted, excluding Mecca and Medina, and linked the strikes to Saudi support for government forces in Yemen.

While some Saudi-backed forces have recently regained control of areas such as the port of Mokha and Mayyun Island, Yemen expert Inbal Nissim-Louvton told 103FM that the Houthis remain a significant threat.

In response to the situation, Nigeria described the incident as a dangerous escalation that violates Saudi sovereignty and undermines Middle East peace efforts, according to Premium Times. Additionally, Al Jazeera noted that the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand are among the countries urging citizens to avoid traveling to the kingdom.

Brief written by urgent.news from Asia Times, Daily Post Nigeria, Premium Times, Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.