King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh partially resumed operations on 26 October after a suspension triggered by a wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks that caused deaths and injuries. Even as flights began to trickle back, Yemen's Houthi group renewed warnings to airlines, employees, and travellers to avoid the airport, calling it categorically 'unsafe.'

The Houthi Strikes and Targets

On Sunday, the Houthi group claimed it had launched 'dozens of ballistic missiles' across three separate attacks on the kingdom. The first strike, according to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea, targeted King Khalid International Airport and 'successfully achieved its objective.' The second and third attacks reportedly struck King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and a Saudi Border Guard naval base in Jazan.

Sarea also issued a sweeping warning against the use of Saudi airspace, with the notable exception of airspace over Mecca and Medina. Separately, the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency quoted a military source warning workers and civilians 'not to approach Saudi oil facilities' and cautioning Saudi Aramco shareholders of 'losses' if they continued holding shares in the company.

Coalition Intercepts and Civilian Damage

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a total of 12 missiles and 2 drones targeting the kingdom, including a ballistic missile and two drones aimed at the Riyadh region. Despite the intercepts, debris from two ballistic missiles fell in the Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah governorates.

The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defence confirmed that a Saudi citizen and an Asian resident were injured from the falling debris. Additionally, three residential buildings and seven vehicles were damaged, underlining the civilian toll of interception operations even when missiles are neutralised mid-flight.

Houthi Justification and Saudi Strikes on Yemen

The Houthi group framed Sunday's barrage as retaliation for what it described as 'Saudi aggression' on Sanaa and other Houthi-held areas the day prior, which it said left 'dozens of people killed or wounded, including women and children.' Houthi spokesman Sarea claimed Saudi forces had carried out 56 air and missile strikes over the preceding 24 hours, targeting what he characterised as 'civilian sites' across the provinces of Hajjah, Lahj, Amran, Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz, and Ibb.

Separately, loud explosions were heard on Sunday evening in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, centred around the Salah al-Din area of Al-Buraiqa district — a strategically significant zone housing key military bases of both government forces and the coalition. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, and the Houthi group had not commented at the time of reporting.

Regional and Diplomatic Backdrop

The escalation drew a swift diplomatic response. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy, meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo on Sunday, said the League 'rejected attacks on Arab countries' and reaffirmed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its right to defend its security and sovereignty.

This comes amid the broader context of a conflict now entering its second decade. Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and large swathes of northern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government. The latest exchanges mark a sharp escalation from recent weeks, with intensified ground fighting accompanying aerial bombardments on both sides. How Saudi Arabia and the coalition respond to fresh civilian infrastructure targeting — particularly at one of the region's busiest airports — will likely shape the trajectory of the conflict in the weeks ahead.