Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, resulted in significant damage to a commercial aircraft and forced international airlines to suspend operations to the Saudi capital. While the Houthi group provided no physical evidence for the strike, multiple sources familiar with the situation informed Reuters that a Saudia Airlines commercial plane sustained heavy damage after catching fire while parked at a terminal. It is believed that no passengers were on board at the time, though officials have not ruled out the possibility of injuries. Verified video footage showed a thick plume of black smoke and flames rising from the King Khalid International Airport.
Witnesses reported hearing explosions across Riyadh, including a major blast at the airport. Emergency responders, including fire and ambulance crews, were deployed to the scene. Passengers at the terminal were instructed to evacuate, and outgoing flights were halted. Data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium indicated that nearly half of all departures from the airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT on Thursday, with an additional 31 cancellations anticipated across Saudi airports for Friday. Lufthansa and Air India are among the carriers that have confirmed the suspension of their Riyadh services.
This escalation follows a statement from Saudi authorities on Wednesday confirming that three people were killed earlier this week in attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha. Additionally, Saudi officials reported that debris from an intercepted missile struck a kindergarten and a medical complex in the capital. The Houthi campaign has intensified as the group attempts to disrupt Saudi airspace and has issued warnings to workers to avoid energy facilities. The current hostilities are tied to the ongoing civil war in Yemen, where the Houthis have made significant territorial gains, including a recent advance toward the city of Taiz. Saudi Arabia continues to support the UN-recognized government in its efforts to reclaim territory. The airport attack occurs as Riyadh prepares to host the WPC Energy Congress, a major gathering for energy policymakers.
