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Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Missiles Over Riyadhدنیا
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Saudi air defences shot down Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, while the kingdom extended its shutdown of the capital's main airport after a week of attacks that killed at least 18 people and rattled Gulf air travel.
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The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said early on Tuesday that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels toward the southern city of Khamis Mushait, hours after the coalition reported shooting down another Houthi missile aimed at the capital, Riyadh.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki announced the interceptions on X. Earlier on Monday, the coalition said it was also responding to a separate attack involving drones and cruise missiles. The Houthis, for their part, claimed on Monday evening that they had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and struck the Khamis Mushait air base with a drone, claims the Saudi side did not immediately confirm.
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<h2>Deadly strikes close the capital’s main airport</h2> Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities have escalated sharply since last week, killing at least 18 people. Saturday’s strikes on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded hundreds, four more died in attacks on Wednesday and Thursday, and another person — reported to be a Pakistani resident — was killed on Sunday, with 11 others wounded.
Saudi authorities have suspended operations at the sprawling airport on Riyadh’s outskirts since Saturday, extending the shutdown until the end of the week while safety assessments continue. The Associated Press has reported that the kingdom is investigating possible failures of its air-defence systems following the deadly attacks.
<h2>Flights suspended across the Gulf</h2> The disruption has rippled across Gulf air travel. Etihad Airways cancelled multiple flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh until October 19, while Qatar Airways temporarily suspended services to Riyadh and Dammam. Gulf Air has also halted flights to the kingdom. Saudi Civil Defense briefly issued, then lifted, an early warning over potential danger in the capital late on Monday.
<h2>Regional and international reaction</h2> US President Donald Trump said the Houthis were “misbehaving very badly” over the airport attacks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the strikes on the Riyadh airport and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, while the United Arab Emirates’ presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called for renewed Gulf cooperation on security and defence.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned airlines and travellers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, with the exception of those serving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, discussed the escalation by phone with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, according to Saudi state media.
The escalation comes amid a wider regional confrontation linked to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, which began earlier this year and has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz while pushing oil prices sharply higher.
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