Saudi Defense Forces Intercept Ballistic Missile Near Riyadh Airport
Photo: Collected
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has confirmed that Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile toward Riyadh's main international airport on Saturday, triggering a loud explosion and plumes of smoke near the capital. The Iran-backed Yemeni armed group claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was carried out in retaliation for recent Saudi-led airstrikes.
An Agence France-Presse journalist near King Khalid International Airport witnessed a fire burning at a fuel depot, where flames engulfed a fuel tank bearing the logo of Saudi oil company Aramco before firefighters brought the blaze under control. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported that several flights at the airport were cancelled or delayed following the incident. Online video footage of the event was verified by AFP.
Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, stated on the social media platform X that the Royal Saudi Air Force successfully intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh early Saturday morning. Al-Maliki added that the Houthis also attempted to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in Bisha, Taif, Jizan, and Yanbu, but Saudi air defense systems thwarted the attacks.
In a Telegram statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group conducted two successful military operations utilizing ballistic and cruise missiles and drones against sensitive installations in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
Prior to the explosions, Saudi authorities had issued an air raid alert for Riyadh and other cities late Friday night, advising residents via mobile phone alerts to stay indoors before lifting the warning about half an hour later. Following the withdrawal of the alert, residents reported hearing explosions and seeing flames and black smoke near the airport.
The escalation coincides with recent weeks of rapid territorial gains by the Houthis across large areas of Yemen, straining the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government. Despite coalition airstrikes on Houthi-held zones, neither the rebel advances in Yemen nor the cross-border strikes into Saudi territory have been contained. In response to the regional volatility, the United States Department of State and U.S. embassies across the Gulf region issued security alerts warning of potential conflicts that could escalate rapidly.
