Three Killed in Cross-Border Drone and Missile Strikes on Saudi Airports

Three people died and 36 others sustained injuries in cross-border Houthi attacks targeting two major airports in Saudi Arabia over a two-day period. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that an assault on Abha International Airport, situated near the Yemen border, resulted in two fatalities and 28 injuries. The victims at Abha included a Moroccan woman and an Algerian woman. A separate attack on King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh caused one death and eight injuries, with a Sudanese male resident losing his life.

Attacks and Claims

The civil aviation authority did not formally name the attackers, but Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree publicly claimed responsibility, stating that armed forces deployed ballistic missiles and drones against both Saudi facilities. Saree added that the Houthi forces also struck Aden's International Airport in Yemen and asserted that the airport strikes served as a response to Saudi aggression involving numerous airstrikes and missile attacks over a 24-hour window. Meanwhile, Pakistan confirmed it has troops stationed in the Gulf kingdom under a newly signed mutual defense pact, as confirmed to CNN by military media wing chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.

Coalition Response

In the wake of the airport strikes, the official spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition stated that the Houthi actions would face severe punishment. The coalition responded by targeting more than 80 Houthi military sites across the governorates of Saada, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, and Ma'rib. The broader conflict has escalated significantly in recent weeks as the Houthis seized control of key Red Sea coastal stretches, including the port of Mokha on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, though pro-government forces later stated they secured the area.

Context

The ongoing conflict in Yemen pits the Iran-backed Houthi movement against the internationally recognized Yemeni government and a regional coalition formed in 2015. The recent cross-border escalation has triggered heightened security alerts from foreign missions, displaced more than 200,000 people according to United Nations figures, and drawn sharp condemnation from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.