RIYADS Oct 8, 2026 – Yemen’s Houthi militia has intensified missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, targeting airports and an airbase in an attempt to disrupt the kingdom’s airspace and oil facilities. The attacks this week have killed three people and forced major cancellations at Riyadh’s main airport.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group launched two ballistic missiles at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, a third at an airport in Najran, and another at an airbase in Khamis Mushait. Saree claimed the strikes hit their targets and warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, excluding the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Saudi authorities said debris from intercepted missiles damaged a kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh. Civil defence officials did not report casualties from the latest intercepts. Earlier strikes this week on facilities at Riyadh and Abha airports killed three people — an Egyptian and an Algerian national at Abha, and a Sudanese national at Riyadh — and wounded dozens more, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities.
Flight-tracking data showed more than 275 cancellations at King Khalid International Airport, accounting for about 40 percent of scheduled arrivals and 30 percent of departures. Lufthansa and Air India temporarily suspended services to the Saudi capital. Witnesses reported explosions in Riyadh and thick smoke rising from the airport area after a commercial aircraft caught fire while parked at a terminal.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted missiles fired toward Riyadh and Khamis Mushait and later struck Houthi military sites inside Yemen. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have repeatedly targeted Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure during the long-running conflict. Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government and has led a military coalition against the group since 2015.
The latest escalation comes as fighting continues on Yemen’s front lines and follows Houthi warnings that Saudi oil facilities remain legitimate targets.
About The Author
