Houthis claim dawn drone and missile strikes on Saudi and Yemeni airports

Yemen’s Houthis claimed fresh missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia and Yemen at dawn this morning, escalating attacks around airports, military positions and other infrastructure.

The Houthis said drones targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, disrupting air traffic, while ballistic missiles and drones targeted Abha International Airport and the Khamis Mushait base.

Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the specific airport claims. Saudi officials have separately reported Houthi attacks targeting Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.

In the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the Transport Ministry said two ballistic missiles and several explosive-laden drones targeted the international airport at dawn, forcing a Cairo-to-Aden flight to divert to Jeddah.

The ministry said one missile landed near the runway minutes before Yemenia flight 603 from Cairo was due to land.

Authorities evacuated passengers and airport staff and moved two Yemenia and Aden Airways aircraft away from the danger zone, the ministry said.

The ministry said drones continued flying over Aden as authorities cleared the terminal. No casualties were reported following the attack.

Ballistic missile interceptions

Videos circulating online showed flashes and explosions near Aden International Airport during the attack, with blasts heard across parts of the city, according to local reports.

Sources cited by journalist Ali Al Sakani said CCTV footage showed ballistic missiles being launched toward Aden, reportedly from the direction of Al-Oud and Al-Hasha districts.

No casualties or damage in Aden had been reported in that account.

Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree separately claimed the group launched ballistic missiles and drones at three Saudi military camps in Jizan and Asir.

Brig Gen Saree said the strikes killed and wounded dozens of Saudi soldiers and officers and set fire to weapons depots. Those casualty and damage claims could not be independently verified.

Saudi state television said the Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward the south-western Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.

The coalition has also reported intercepting Houthi missiles and drones around Khamis Mushait and Jazan, while saying it continues operations against missile launch sites.

Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said on Tuesday that coalition forces had destroyed a ballistic-missile launch platform in Sanaa and a missile storage facility in Saada.

The Aden attack comes amid renewed fighting after Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and a Saudi-backed government counteroffensive supported by coalition air strikes.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said attacks targeted King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jizan and Najran International Airport in the south of the kingdom, close to the Yemeni border.

Aviation monitoring platform FlightRadar24 said flights to and from Riyadh were put "on hold" for a few hours on Tuesday. The airport's website could not be accessed.

Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah television later reported Saudi strikes on Ibb and Taiz. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately confirm those reports.

The latest exchanges threaten civilian aviation and other infrastructure as both sides intensify missile and drone attacks across Yemen and Saudi Arabia.