Houthis claim ballistic and drone strikes on Saudi airports as Yemen war widens

Yemen's Houthi movement claimed a fresh wave of ballistic-missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and military sites on Wednesday, pulling the kingdom deeper into a conflict that reignited across Yemen this summer. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree asserted strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha airport, and facilities around Khamis Mushait, Najran and Asir.

What the Houthis claimed

Saree said Houthi forces targeted Riyadh's main airport with a ballistic missile and that the strike disrupted air traffic. Flight-tracking data showed planes holding away from the airfield. In additional statements, the group said drones and missiles also struck Abha International Airport and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, and claimed attacks on military camps in Jizan and Asir. Those casualty and damage claims were not independently verified.

It was at least the second time this week that the Houthis claimed to have targeted the Saudi capital's primary airport. Authorities in Riyadh have frequently faced temporary airspace closures according to Flightradar24, though Saudi officials have not always publicly detailed each incident.

Saudi-led response

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile headed toward the Riyadh area, according to coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki (also transliterated al-Maliki in some outlets). Saudi state media also reported intercepts around southwestern cities. Coalition forces say they continue strikes on launch platforms as they provide air support for a Yemeni government counter-offensive.

Fighting inside Yemen

The claims come as Yemen's civil war, after a four-year ceasefire, flared again in July. Last month the Houthis seized large stretches of the western Red Sea coast, including areas around Mocha, in some of the deadliest fighting in years. Yemen's internationally recognized government this week declared a counter-offensive and says it has pushed Houthi fighters from strategic coastal zones - assertions that could not be independently confirmed amid fast-moving claims from both sides.

On Wednesday, military sources said new clashes in western Yemen left at least 62 combatants dead, including 37 Houthis. The government's Saba news agency also reported a Houthi missile strike on Taiz that wounded civilians. Separately, Houthis said they targeted military supplies near Aden airport; Yemeni authorities said a missile landed near the runway minutes before a Cairo flight was due, forcing a diversion to Jeddah.

Humanitarian stakes

The UN's International Organization for Migration said more than 200,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen by the latest round of fighting, warning that aid funding remains critically short in one of the world's poorest countries. For travelers and regional energy markets, the immediate signal is escalating risk to civil aviation corridors linking the Gulf, Red Sea, and southern Saudi cities - even when missiles are intercepted.

Why it matters

Saudi Arabia has led the coalition against the Houthis since 2015. Renewed cross-border strikes on airports and bases raise the chance of wider regional spillover at a moment when other Middle East conflicts already strain shipping and diplomacy. Independent verification remains difficult, but disrupted flights and coalition intercept announcements show how quickly the Yemen war can reach Saudi skies.