Sanaa says four operations hit airports in Riyadh and Dammam and two Aramco sites, while Saudi Arabia has not confirmed all of the claims.
Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and Aramco facilities were announced on Sunday by Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesman, who said four operations were carried out in 24 hours in response to Saudi airstrikes on Yemen. According to The National, Saudi Arabia had not confirmed any of the four claims. Al Jazeera reported that Saree also renewed a warning to airlines, airport workers and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace.
Houthi Strikes on Saudi Airports: What Was Claimed
ANI reported that the statement described the first operation as a three phase attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that began the previous evening, disrupting air traffic and closing the airport completely. The second and third operations targeted Aramco’s Shaqdam gas site and Tanajib oil facility in the Eastern Province, and the fourth targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saree’s statement said both Aramco attacks caused major fires and that operations at Dammam airport were disrupted.
Saree also said Yemeni forces fired six ballistic missiles and two drones at Saudi military gatherings in Ras al Ara and Al Suqya, killing and wounding dozens of troops. He added that air defenses forced several Saudi warplane formations to retreat. Tamrah News found no independent confirmation of these claims.
Saree said Saudi aircraft carried out 124 airstrikes over the previous day on Sanaa, Taiz, Marib, Al Jawf, Hajjah, Hodeidah and Saada, bringing the total since the latest escalation to 2,058. CBS News, citing the BBC, reported that he claimed more than 120 Saudi airstrikes in the past 24 hours. Anadolu, in a report carried by Bernama, put his tally at 1,576 on October 5.
Riyadh Airport Attack Leaves Saudi Arabia Vowing a Response
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said a missile struck King Khalid airport on Saturday, killing 12 people and wounding 309. Al Jazeera reported that the dead included four Saudis and an American, and that the Saudi led coalition blamed the Houthis and called the strike a war crime. The same report noted that the Houthis had not claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strike.
CBS News and the Associated Press reported that a passenger terminal at the airport was hit again on Sunday, and that the civil aviation authority said the latest attack caused injuries and that damage assessments were under way. The coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Al Kharj and a drone over the Eastern Province, and Saudi Arabia said it would retaliate firmly. CNN reported that the airport was closed and more than 600 flights were cancelled.
Saudi Airspace Warning Puts Airlines on Notice
In a post on X, Yahya Saree wrote that Saudi airports and airspace are a “theatre of operations” for Yemeni forces, according to CBS News. Anadolu reported that earlier Houthi warnings excluded the airspace over Mecca and Medina, and the latest statement keeps that exemption.
According to Al Jazeera, several airlines have suspended services to Saudi destinations, and the United States, Canada, Germany and other countries have issued travel warnings. Schools in Riyadh were ordered to teach remotely for a week.
Will the United States Join Saudi Strikes on Yemen?
President Donald Trump has not announced a decision, telling reporters on Saturday, “We may. We’re going to look at it,” Al Jazeera reported. The same report said US media had described American help with intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the Saudi backed offensive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres both condemned the Riyadh attack.
Fighting Spreads Across Yemen
Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched the Dawn of Yemen offensive on October 4, and a ceasefire that had largely held since 2022 has collapsed. A government spokesman said at least 1,150 Houthi fighters had been killed, while the Houthis dispute territorial claims, and Al Jazeera said it could not verify the competing accounts.
Saree said Yemeni forces will keep operating deep inside Saudi Arabia under their declared policy of matching blockade with blockade and escalation with escalation. He said this will continue until the Saudi military campaign and blockade of Yemen end.