Flights resume at Riyadh airport as Houthis attack Saudi

Yemen’s Houthi rebels carried out widespread attacks across southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday, as Riyadh’s international airport began a partial reopening. Despite the ongoing assaults, alerts warning of potential strikes were issued throughout the kingdom’s southern regions. The Saudi-led military coalition combating the Houthi group claimed to have intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles.

The Houthi fighters have intensified their assaults on Saudi targets following the breakdown of a long-standing truce. In Khamis Mushait, a resident reported that the fighting had been intense since the morning, with the ground shaking due to explosions. Riyadh’s international airport announced the resumption of flights following a two-week closure resulting from Houthi strikes.

However, the extent of the airport’s operational status remained uncertain. The Houthi fighters have targeted the airport multiple times, including an attack this month that resulted in 13 deaths and over 300 injuries. The group has also targeted oil infrastructure and other facilities. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Riyadh airport remains unsafe and a military objective for their forces.

As preparations were underway for the airport’s reopening, AFP journalists in Riyadh heard three explosions early Sunday, accompanied by "hostile aerial threat" alerts for residents to seek safety. The Saudi-led coalition reported downing a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh and intercepting two drones in the capital area.

Later that morning, they announced the interception of a cruise missile fired at the southern city of Khamis Mushait. The attacks targeted various southern areas, including Abha city, Taif, Namas, and Jazan. The Houthi fighters claimed they targeted three Saudi airports, energy installations, a pipeline, and an air base within a 24-hour period.

The Saudi civil defense agency reported responding to debris falling in the Makkah and Madina regions following the interception of two Houthi missiles. The Houthis denied these claims, calling them "huge lies." They also attacked the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the interim seat of the government, targeting a naval base and military camp overseen by Saudi forces.

The renewed conflict in Yemen, with the Houthis controlling the entire Red Sea coast, has further destabilized the region and disrupted oil markets, impacting Saudi Arabia, the world's leading crude exporter, as well as businesses, airlines, and residents.