Key Takeaways
- Saudi Arabia intercepted multiple drones and missiles over its capital and southern areas.
- The conflict with Yemen's Houthis has intensified, posing a threat to key infrastructure.
- Saudi Arabia has stepped up its strikes against the Houthis, following recent territorial gains.
Saudi Arabia has intercepted several drones and missiles over its capital Riyadh and southern regions, according to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The coalition reported that two drones and a ballistic missile were launched towards Riyadh, while a cruise missile targeted the southern city of Khamis Mushait.
Emergency alerts were issued for Riyadh, Abha, and Khamis Mushait, but the danger was later confirmed to have passed. The coalition stated that ten ballistic missiles were intercepted in southern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis, who have been in conflict with Saudi Arabia since 2015, warned that they could target King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which resumed operations at two terminals on Sunday after a deadly attack earlier this month. The airport had halted operations on October 10 following an attack that killed 13 people and injured over 300.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree warned all airlines, airport staff, and travellers against using the airport, describing it as a 'military target'. The airport has designated Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights operated by national carriers starting Sunday.
The renewed fighting in Yemen has shattered a UN-brokered truce that had largely held since 2022. Saudi Arabia has intensified its strikes against the Houthis, following their recent seizure of strategic territory along the Red Sea coast, which has brought them closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a global maritime chokepoint.
The conflict has become an increasingly destabilising front in the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, with Saudi Arabia serving as a pressure point in the wider war. The Saudi-led coalition has stepped up its operations, targeting the Houthis in response to their recent advances.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, leading a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa a year earlier. The ongoing conflict has had significant implications for regional stability and global oil markets.
