Houthis claim fresh ballistic missile strike on Riyadh airport as Thursday flights halted

Yemen’s Houthis on Thursday claimed a fresh ballistic missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, saying the attack disrupted airport operations, as departures from the Saudi capital’s airport were halted following the reported attack.

Houthi military spokesman Brig-Gen Yahya Saree said the missile “hit its target accurately” and caused disruption to airport operations. He gave no details of any damage or casualties. Saree also issued what he called a “final” warning to international airlines to stop operating flights in Saudi airspace, saying it had become a “theatre for our military operations”.

A witness told the Associated Press that several explosions were heard in Riyadh, including a large blast at the city’s international airport. Outgoing flights were halted, passengers were instructed to evacuate the airport and leave all checked-in luggage behind, and fire and ambulance crews were deployed as smoke was visible. Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Flight-tracking monitor Flightradar24 said on X: “Riyadh Airport closed again. Last landing 80+ minutes ago. Last take off 90+ minutes ago.” Flight-tracking data showed the last recorded departure from the airport at 5.55am, with several subsequent flights listed as delayed or estimated, and a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul marked cancelled.

The National reported that 58 departures, or 15 per cent of the day’s scheduled services, were delayed as of Thursday morning, while 11 flights, or 3 per cent, were cancelled. The average departure delay was 45 minutes, and the airport’s disruption index stood at 4.2 out of five, classified as major disruption. Saudia’s SV311 from Riyadh to Cairo was delayed by more than two hours and Yemenia’s IY533 to Aden by more than three hours; Saudia’s SV562 to Dubai and Turkish Airlines’ TK145 to Istanbul were among those cancelled.

The US embassy in Riyadh warned citizens to “be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions”, urging travellers to check flight status directly with airlines.

The claim came a day after Saudi aviation authorities said Houthi attacks on King Khalid and Abha airports on Tuesday and Wednesday had killed three people and wounded 36. Officials said the King Khalid attack killed a Sudanese national and wounded eight people, while the Abha attack killed Moroccan and Algerian residents and wounded 28.

Separately on Thursday, the Houthis claimed ballistic missile strikes had killed and wounded dozens of Saudi-backed forces near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, targeting Qawa camp in Ras Al Arah, troop concentrations south of Bab el-Mandeb and in Al Saqiya. Those claims could not be independently verified.

The escalation follows the Saudi-led coalition’s announcement of a “comprehensive operation” that destroyed 82 Houthi military targets across Yemen, reported in Flip News earlier on Thursday.