Houthis claim direct hit on Riyadh airport, warn airlines

A fresh claim from Yemen's Houthi movement asserts responsibility for a missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, with the group stating that its missiles hit the intended target. The Houthi military spokesperson conveyed the claim via X, claiming significant damage and casualties.

In the same communications, the Houthis warned international airlines, airport staff, and travelers against using Saudi airspace, describing it as unsafe except over Makkah and Madinah. No independent verification is provided in the material.

Saudi Civil Defence issued alerts via the National Early Warning Platform in the provinces of Jizan and Najran, advising residents to move indoors and seek shelter away from windows. Authorities also instructed motorists to pull over in safe locations if alerted while driving.

A separate Houthi statement outlined three operations aimed at Saudi military installations, including a drone attack on a radar facility on the Al-Qahmah Peninsula (north of Jizan), a ballistic missile strike on the Aakefah camp in Najran, and an attack on a Border Guard command and control facility in Jizan. No casualty details are independently confirmed in the provided material.

The report also notes a casualty in Telangana, India, where a man died after injuries sustained in the October 10 attack on King Khalid International Airport; he had been receiving treatment in Riyadh and worked at a Starbucks outlet at the airport. The update ties the Riyadh attack timeline to the ongoing conflict, without attributing the Telangana death to a specific incident.

The article frames the events as part of an escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia since mid-2026, with missile and drone launches targeting airports, oil infrastructure, and military sites. There is no independent confirmation of the attack’s outcomes, locations, or specific impacts beyond the Houthi claims and the Civil Defence alerts.