Riyadh airport partially reopens: Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi ballistic missile, drones

Houthis on Sunday claimed to have launched dozens of ballistic missiles in three attacks against the kingdom (Photo: ANI).

Saudi-led coalition on early Monday claimed it intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh by the Houthis as the rebel group continues to target the partially open King Khalid International Airport.On Sunday, the Houthi group said it had launched dozens of ballistic missiles in three attacks against the kingdom, the first of which targeted King Khalid International Airport and “successfully achieved its objective.”Other attacks targeted King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and a Saudi Border Guard naval base in Jazan.Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree renewed a warning to airlines, employees and travellers against using King Khalid International Airport, describing it as “unsafe.”“The Yemeni Armed Forces renew their warning to all global, regional, and local airlines, as well as employees and travellers, against travelling through Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe, being a military target for our forces,” Saree said on X.The airport administration previously announced that Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights and Terminal 2 international flights operated by national carriers, effective Sunday.Saree also issued a broader warning against using Saudi airspace while excluding the airspace over Mecca and Medina.Separately, the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency quoted a military source as warning workers and civilians “not to approach Saudi oil facilities,” while cautioning Saudi Aramco shareholders of “losses” if they continued to hold shares in the company.The Saudi-led coalition on Sunday said it had intercepted and destroyed a total of 12 missiles and two drones launched toward the kingdom, including a ballistic missile and two drones targeting the Riyadh region. Xinua reported.Saree also claimed that Saudi warplanes had carried out 56 airstrikes and missile attacks against civilian assets across seven Yemeni provinces in the past 24 hours. In a post on X, he said the attacks targeted Hodeidah, Lahj, Amran, Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Ibb, involving F-15 and Typhoon aircraft operating from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, as well as missile attacks from Najran.Saree claimed the total number of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks since the escalation against Yemen had reached 3,179. These claims have not been independently verified.