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Houthi strike on Riyadh airport leaves multiple wounded (VIDEOS)

Quick Look

Houthi forces attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, injuring several people and suspending operations after a missile struck a domestic terminal building.
The attack follows recent escalations in Yemen's civil war, with Houthi spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti confirming responsibility to RT and vowing continued strikes until a peace deal ends the war and blockade.
At least 316 flights were cancelled, per Flightradar24 data.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Saudi Arabia has led a military campaign against the Houthis since 2015. Hostilities largely subsided following a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022 before flaring up again in July after a strike on Sanaa airport by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces. Fighting escalated in September as Houthis captured Mocha and expanded control along the Red Sea coast.

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An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday injured several people and forced the suspension of airport operations, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has reported. The Houthis were behind the attack, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior political official and spokesman for the group, confirmed to RT.

The news comes almost a week after Yemen’s internationally recognized and Saudi-backed government launched a major offensive to retake territory from the Iran-backed Houthis, including areas near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi-led forces have supported the operation with airstrikes, while the Houthis have retaliated with missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s international airport.

Al-Bukhaiti stressed that the Houthis would continue striking Saudi targets until Riyadh agreed to a comprehensive peace deal ending the war and the blockade of Houthi-controlled northern Yemen.

GACA said that the attack resulted in a number of injuries, the extent of which is still being assessed. “Operational activities at the airport have been temporarily suspended pending a full assessment of the damage and verification of facility safety,” it said in a statement.

A missile struck the building housing two terminals used for domestic flights at the airport, AP reported, citing a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a plume of smoke rising above Terminal 3 following the strike.

At least 316 flights to and from Riyadh airport were cancelled on Saturday, according to data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

Saudi Arabia has led a military campaign against the Houthis since 2015. The hostilities largely subsided following a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022 before flaring up again this July following a strike on Sanaa airport by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.

Fighting escalated further in September as the Houthis made their biggest territorial gains in years, capturing the strategic port of Mocha and expanding their control along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital international shipping route.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Saudi Arabia will likely respond with increased airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen
Likely · Within days
International pressure for a renewed ceasefire in Yemen will increase following this attack
Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

What is the exact number and severity of injuries from the attack?
When will airport operations fully resume?
What specific damage was caused to Terminal 3 and domestic flight facilities?
Will this attack prompt a larger Saudi military response?