Three killed in Houthi‑claimed missile strikes on Saudi airports in Abha and Riyadh

Three people were killed and dozens injured after missile strikes hit Abha International Airport in the southwest and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, attacks that the Iran‑backed Houthi movement said it carried out. Saudi officials confirmed two women – a Moroccan and an Algerian – died at Abha and a Sudanese national died in Riyadh. The Abha blast wounded 28 people, including Saudi citizens and residents from Bangladesh and the Philippines; the Riyadh strike injured eight, among them Saudi, Egyptian and Pakistani nationals. The Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation recorded property damage but did not assign blame to any side. The Houthi group later claimed responsibility for both attacks. Saudi‑led coalition forces said they intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a launch platform in Sana’a, and announced a follow‑up operation that hit 82 Houthi targets across several Yemeni provinces. Gulf Cooperation Council secretary‑general Jassim Mohammed al‑Budaiwi condemned the strikes as systematic crimes against civilians and pledged GCC unity with Saudi Arabia. ## Context The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have been fighting Saudi‑backed Yemeni government forces and frequently target Saudi infrastructure to pressure the kingdom. Attacks on civilian sites raise concerns about the safety of air travel and the security of key oil‑shipping routes in the Red Sea region.