RIYADH/SANAA, October 14, 2026 — Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Wednesday that its forces launched a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, claiming a precise and direct hit.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the strike in a statement, part of a broader series of operations the group said also targeted Saudi Aramco facilities. The claim followed earlier Houthi assertions of large-scale attacks using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones against energy infrastructure and the airport.
The Saudi-led coalition responded that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis toward Riyadh. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki reported the interception on social media. Residents of the capital reported hearing explosions earlier in the day and received aerial threat alerts via mobile applications. Saudi civil defense later said debris from an intercepted missile fell in a residential area, causing minor damage to a building and a vehicle and injuring one person.
The latest exchange continues a sharp escalation in cross-border strikes. Over the preceding days, Houthi attacks on the same airport had killed more than a dozen people and wounded hundreds, according to Saudi authorities, prompting the temporary closure of the facility and widespread flight cancellations. The Houthis have repeatedly warned airlines and civilians to avoid Saudi airports and oil sites, stating that these locations are legitimate targets in response to coalition operations in Yemen.
Saudi officials have described the attacks as terrorist acts against civilian infrastructure and vowed a firm response. The Iran-aligned Houthis control large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, and have intensified long-range strikes on Saudi territory in recent weeks amid ongoing fighting with Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
No independent confirmation of a direct impact at the airport on Wednesday was immediately available. The coalition has reported intercepting multiple missiles, drones, and cruise missiles over Saudi territory in the same period.
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