In brief
Three people were killed in Houthi‑led drone and missile attacks on two Saudi airports in October, raising tensions that have already spread across the Yemen border. The strikes targeted Abha and King Khalid airports, killing two Moroccan and Algerian passengers and one Sudanese resident. Houthi spokespersons say the raids were retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes, and the Saudi coalition vows to punish the attackers. The incidents highlight a sharp escalation in the Yemen conflict, which threatens the security of critical shipping routes such as the Bab al‑Mandab Strait.
Three people killed in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, officials say
Two people were killed and 28 wounded in an attack at Abha International Airport, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said in a statement on Wednesday.
In a separate incident, one person was killed and eight were wounded in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, it added.
The attacks, which the Houthis have claimed responsibility for, mark an escalation in the renewed war between the Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The two airports were attacked on 6 and 7 October, according to Gaca, which did not specify when each airport was hit.
Two women of Moroccan and Algerian nationalities were killed during the Abha airport attack, near the Yemen border, according to Gaca.
Meanwhile, a male resident of Sudanese nationality was killed at King Khalid airport, it added.
The civil aviation authority did not name who was responsible for the attacks, however Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said its armed forces had attacked both Saudi airports with ballistic missiles and drones.
Saree said the attacks were a response to recent Saudi aggression that included 60 airstrikes and missile attacks in the past 24 hours.
The civil war in Yemen has worsened in recent weeks after the Houthis seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive, including the port of Mokha on the Bab al‑Mandab Strait, a key shipping chokepoint.
