Houthis renew warning against using Riyadh airport on reopening day

Yemen’s Houthis renewed their warning against using Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, hours after the airport announced it would designate two terminals for flights following a suspension earlier this month (Reuters).

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the airport remained a “military target” and that operations targeting it would continue, warning all airlines, airport staff and travellers against using it.

Late on Saturday, the airport said Terminal 1 would be designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights operated by national carriers starting on Sunday. Flip News reported on Saturday evening that the airport would resume operations at the two terminals on Sunday after a two-week closure.

Operations at the airport were halted on 10 October following an attack claimed by the Houthis that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. The suspension was extended two days later.

The Houthis have been firing ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil installations, while Saudi Arabia has recently stepped up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month, Reuters reported.