Saudi Arabia has reopened Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport following a series of Houthi attacks that resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries. In a social media statement released on Friday, the General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed that Thursday's strikes directly impacted airport infrastructure as well as an aircraft belonging to the state carrier, Saudia.
The recent assaults on Saudi airports coincide with an ongoing military offensive by the Riyadh-backed, internationally recognized government of Yemen against the Houthi movement. Aviation authorities reported that Thursday's strikes caused material damage alongside injuries ranging from minor to severe. Airport operations have since been restored, and regular air traffic flow has resumed.
State-owned Saudia Airlines confirmed that one of its pilots, Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, was killed during the incident at the capital's airport. Saudi Arabia has experienced a wave of aerial assaults in recent days, with civil aviation facilities emerging as the primary target of the armed group.
Civil aviation officials stated earlier in the week that separate strikes against Abha and King Khalid airports had killed three civilians and wounded 36 individuals. Additional attacks targeting Jazan and Najran airports near the Yemeni border resulted in at least three more injuries. On Thursday, a Houthi military spokesperson claimed responsibility for launching a ballistic missile toward King Khalid airport, asserting it struck its target and disrupted local air traffic.
The recent campaign echoes similar tactics deployed in September, when coalition forces intercepted incoming ballistic missiles and explosions were reported near Riyadh fuel storage areas. The Houthis have subsequently issued warnings to international aviation firms, declaring Saudi airspace a potential target for operations outside the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
This spike in aerial strikes occurs as Yemeni forces pursue a counteroffensive following a Houthi territorial expansion along the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. Although the Yemeni government has claimed recent ground gains along the coastline, heavy fighting persists.
The renewed regional tensions have drawn broader international participation. Pakistan confirmed that it has deployed a substantial contingent of forces and resources to Riyadh under a mutual defense pact signed earlier in the year, emphasizing that Pakistani personnel are positioned strictly for territorial defense.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition reported the destruction of three rocket launch platforms used in the cross-border strikes. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki vowed that all hostile actions targeting civilians and infrastructure would be met with decisive measures. Coalition forces also carried out dozens of targeted operations against Houthi reinforcements along active frontlines using warplanes, drones, and artillery.